How Danté Exum is capitalising on his new starting role with the Dallas Mavericks

Exum had to bide his time for a bigger role in Dallas, but when it arrived, he took it with both hands.

It’s easy to forget that Danté Exum is a basketball veteran of nearly ten seasons.

The former fifth overall draft pick joined the Utah Jazz with much hype, but injuries and fluctuating form saw him depart the NBA in 2021. Throughout two seasons of European basketball - with heavyweights Barcelona and Partizan Belgrade - Exum improved his game to become a well-rounded guard. In Europe, Exum found the best shooting touch of his career, especially from three-point range, and stepped up as a floor general. His rapid development led to an NBA recall, with the Dallas Mavericks extending a contract offer ahead of the 2023-24 season. But Exum found himself starting from the bottom of the Mavericks ladder, as his European exploits did not guarantee a significant role or playing time.

Throughout November, Exum averaged just 11.7 minutes per game. He often flashed his potential in short bursts, as evidenced by an eight point/six assist effort against the Los Angeles Clippers, but playing time was still hard to come by. Stuck behind two perennial All-Stars in Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, Exum was jostling for minutes with the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr. and fellow Aussie guard Josh Green. But December marked a new beginning, as injuries to Green and Grant Williams opened up minutes in the Mavericks rotation.

Green is set to be sidelined for several weeks with an elbow sprain, derailing his bid to build on a productive 2022-23 season. As a small consolation, Green’s injury has opened the door for a fellow Boomer in Exum, who is off to a remarkable comeback. The 28 year old earned his first start of the season in a 147-97 demolition of his former team in the Utah Jazz. Exum recorded a modest 2/9 shooting line in this game (including 1/5 from deep), but contributed in other ways, with six rebounds and seven assists. Despite primarily being a back court player, Exum stands at 6’5 tall with a 6’9 wingspan, giving him an advantageous frame on the boards.

The lanky guard also showed his versatility as a passer, dropping a variety of dimes that included kick outs to shooters and nifty hand offs in the paint. On one particular play he stripped the ball on an outlet pass, before catching the defence napping with a clever behind the back dime to Derrick Jones. Exum was particularly efficient passer in this game, conceding just one turnover in the process of racking up his seven assists.

Defensively, Exum has the size and athleticism to guard any position from one through to four. He showcased this against the Jazz, picking up 6’9 power forward John Collins in a show of one-on-one defence. Exum forced Collins’ drive to grind to a halt, before stripping the ball and pushing it in transition. He then found an open Kyrie Irving to close out this poetic sequence, which highlighted Exum’s coast-to-coast two-way skillset.

In his next three games, Exum’s increased role started to translate to some gaudy numbers. He recorded 23 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers, after starting alongside Dončić and Irving yet again. Exum’s first step was on show this game, with a series of eye-catching drives from a still start. The Aussie remains right hand dominant, but has refined his game to finish drives even at awkward angles. In addition to his 7/13 clip on two point field goals, Exum knocked down two three-point attempts in this game, showing growth as a shooter.

In the passing game, Exum showed a propensity to find open men in the paint. This included running cutters, in addition to well-positioned big men who could capitalise on an easy dunk opportunity. Exum also racked up assists by finding open shooters, but it’s his interior passing that really stood out, and he once again showed efficiency by only conceding one turnover.

After the Mavericks toppled Portland, Exum caught another break when Kyrie Irving was struck by injury and missed their next contest.