According to reports, a frustrated Dante Exum got into a bit of a heated exchange with Utah Jazz rookie Miye Oni in Sunday’s practice.
It’s been a long tumultuous road for Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum in his NBA career thus far. Touted as a potential superstar, there was general euphoria when he was drafted number five overall by the Jazz back in the 2014 NBA Draft. Here was a guy who could very well become the team’s next legitimate superstar.
Unfortunately, Jazz fans know the story from there all too well – injury after injury, setback after setback. Exum has shown glimpses, most certainly, of the sky-high potential that earned him such high lottery praise. But an inability to remain on the court has dramatically hindered his chances at success.
Heading into the 2019-20 season, once again there has been cautious optimism about Dante Exum’s return and ability to play a meaningful role for his team. Sure, the fact that he hasn’t been able to suit up for any preseason games as he looks to work out the last steps of his arduous rehab process has been disconcerting. But the general consensus was that he should very well be ready for the start of the regular season on October 23rd.
Perhaps that will still end up being the case. Yet how much he’ll be able to play, how capable he’ll be as he looks to shake off rust and how much of an impact he’ll have all remain up in the air.
And to make matters worse regarding the mysterious circumstances seemingly constantly surrounding Dante Exum, reports from Sunday’s practice only cast further doubt on his status.
The Salt Lake Tribune’s Andy Larsen and KSL’s Ben Anderson were quick to describe a brief and intense scene that broke out in practice. Apparently while playing in a 2-on-2 bout alongside Jarrell Brantley against Miye Oni and the recently signed Kyle Collinsworth, Exum took a spill on an Oni foul and he was not happy about it.
As Andy Larsen reported, “Exum got back up and was furious at Miye”, then “stormed off the court.”
Dante Exum took a spill at practice playing against Miye Oni and had to be restrained. He then stormed out of the gym. Intense moment.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 13, 2019
Honestly, I think Exum’s really frustrated... he doesn’t look like he’s at 100%. I thought Miye’s defense was fine... tough but clean. Probably a foul on the play but not dirty.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 13, 2019
Later it was clarified that Exum didn’t appear to have gotten hurt on the play, but given his checkered history, it’s no surprise that he would be flustered about potentially dangerous contact during an inconsequential game in practice. Not to mention, Exum has had such a frustrating path and, with Larsen mentioning that the Aussie still does not appear 100 percent, it’s likely there’s a lot weighing on his mind.
To be clear, I don't think Exum got hurt on the play. Would say Oni/Collinsworth had the significant advantage over Exum/Brantley in the 5-10 mins we watched them play. Oni's so athletic, Collinsworth a very good defender. Exum looked tired, though still showed flashes of burst.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) October 13, 2019
Anderson provided some additional key clarification that you can see for yourself in the thread below:
Miye and Dante has been going at each other, it was already a somewhat intense drill, and both were clearly tired.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 13, 2019
As far as seriousness goes, Quin Snyder didn’t even get up from a side interview he was doing to break up the incident. A few Jazz assistants got in between the two and Dante stormed off. It was intense but it didn’t last all that long.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 13, 2019
I’d suspect this happens more often than we get to see, just so happens this was during the media viewing period.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) October 13, 2019
Honestly, Dante probably should be mad, and Miye should be going at him in practice. Can’t brother-in-law each other in practice for a team with these aspirations.
It’s entirely possible that this was just an overreaction on Exum’s part, a poor decision on Oni’s part, or some combination of the two where both are at fault to some degree. Nevertheless, hearing that this was Dante’s reaction in the midst of a competitive 2-on-2 bout wherein he suffered some contact – something that is almost certain to happen in a real game, especially going up against an opponent that won’t have nearly the respect for Dante as his teammate Oni presumably has – is not a reassuring sign.
He likely has a way to go before he’ll be fully physically recovered and the hurdle of mental recovery may very well be the toughest one to overcome.
Personally, unless we hear of any further or more intriguing developments, I have a feeling that this will blow over and that it was more or less two competitive guys going at one another with Exum getting flustered due to outcome, circumstance and recent setbacks. Dante knows that time is wearing thin for him to prove himself and that his inability to do so has largely been due to health factors outside of his control.
And while Oni is just a rookie, he’s looked very encouraging in preseason play thus far, meaning he could be viewed as a potential rotation threat to Dante, which adds an extra wrinkle to all this.
But more than anything, it casts significant doubt on what the immediate and long-term future holds for Exum as a member of the Utah Jazz. The Jazz have taken repeated chances on him but their patience has yet to be rewarded. Will he actually be ready to go on opening night? Will he be able to provide the missing link the Jazz need him for? Will he be depended on during key moments?
Ideally, the answer to all those questions is ‘yes.’ But if this latest heated moment in practice is any indication, it’s hard to assume that such will be the case.