Many fans were perplexed by the Dallas Mavericks’ summer signing of Dante Exum.
The fact that Dallas was bringing in a player who had spent several seasons out of the league raised some eyebrows, but those who had their doubts vanished almost instantly when they saw how brilliantly Exum was performing at both ends of the court to begin the season.
Being one of Dallas’ most versatile defenders, Exum developed into a vital member of the team. He is hitting 47.7 percent from three point range on 2.0 attempts per game, making him a lethal 3-point shooter off the catch. Exum demonstrated that he belonged in the NBA by bringing his international shooting stats to the table.
During the last stretch of the season, the experienced guard for the Mavericks’ health will be vital.
Exum is putting up 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.6 steals a game on average this season. In addition to playing excellent defense, Exum is playing his best offensively he has ever played.
Exum has been excellent on the floor, but he has reverted to one of his main faults.
Exum’s most recent ailment was right knee bursitis, which has caused him to miss 23 games so far this season. Dallas is in need of his services, since he has not been in the starting lineup since January 26.
Apart from Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, the Mavs lack a genuine point guard capable of spearheading the second unit when those two are not on the court. Doncic or Irving should ideally play the majority of the game on the floor, but they definitely need another creative.
They don’t appear to need a true backup point guard now that Jaden Hardy is playing better, but it would still be good to have another reliable player off the bench who can both create and defend. Exum has shown he is capable of being all of that and more, but a fantastic season has been somewhat ruined by his health.
With Exum back, the possibilities are endless for this Mavericks squad. When Exum plays at his best, the fans tend to forget how amazing he has been this season. He needs to go back to playing confidently and assertively.
Exum wasn’t performing like the player he was in the early going of the season during his brief return at the end of January. Hopefully, he can restore that confidence.
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