Utah Jazz: Dante Exum is nearing a return to the court

Utah Jazz point guard Dante Exum looks to be zeroing in on a return to the hardwood after missing extended time with an ankle injury.

The great point guard crisis of 2018-19 finally looks to be reaching its conclusion for the Utah Jazz.

After going through a stretch that saw the team enter multiple games without a healthy point-man on the roster — Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto and Dante Exum have missed a combined 35 contests since the turn of the calendar — the last remaining holdout on the injury report is close to being activated.

Exum, who last played in a January 5 road win over the Detroit Pistons, finally returned to Jazz practice on Wednesday and his medical re-evaluation is imminent. The oft-injured Aussie has been nursing a sprained left ankle.

While he was only a partial participant at practice, Exum’s return to team activity would seem to indicate that his official return to duty is not far off. For a Jazz team that’s set to tip-off the final third of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, that’s incredible news.

Before his latest physical setback, Exum was playing some of the best ball of his career. In the five games before his ill-fated appearance in Detroit, the former No. 5 overall pick was putting up 13 points and six assists per contest with a 51-50-100 shooting line.

Over that span, the Jazz were scoring 125 points per 100 possessions when Exum was on the floor, which was the best mark on the team. Exum also boasted an overall net rating approaching 19.

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When he does return, I wouldn’t anticipate that he picks up right where he left off. Being idle for six weeks is no way to keep a hot streak going, after all. That said, his mere presence should help the team from a depth standpoint while he works his way back into top form, which is no small thing.

For a team that has dealt with massive injury issues for several years consecutively now, having a roster full of relatively healthy players is a good place to be.