Tag: Exums

Nearly four months after suffering a wrist injury in training camp, Dante Exum has made his season debut. Exum, who was a key cog on last year’s team during the regular season, underwent wrist surgery on Oct. 9 that held him out for the first 48 games of the 2024-25 campaign. His return comes at a welcomed time, as the Dallas Mavericks are on the road for their longest road trip of the season. After winning in New Orleans by one point, Dallas welcomed Exum back in a 117-102 loss to the Detroit Pistons. All things considered, it was a successful debut for Dante. In his 14 minutes, Exum was rusty, as you’d expect. However, he moved well and didn’t appear to struggle with the wrist at all. As Exum starts to works his way into a role with this year’s team, I’m here to tell you that his addition back to the lineup is bigger than you think.

Master connector

Part of what made Dante Exum such an excellent piece during the regular season last year was his ability to play the chameleon role. Like a chameleon changes colors to fit the environment around it, Exum was able to work in a variety of different lineups and roles due to his versatility. At 6’6”, Exum is big enough to play all the way up to the small forward spot, while having the ball handling skills to play all the way down to the on-ball initiator.

When Exum played with both Luka and Kyrie at the same time, he worked in essence as the small forward. In almost 400 possessions with that trio on the floor, Dallas had a whopping +23.9 net rating, with an explosive 132.6 offensive rating and a stingy 108.6 defensive rating.

With just one of Doncic or Irving on the floor, Exum can slide into that secondary ball handler role, and the Mavericks thrived in those lineups as well. In over 1,000 possessions with an Exum and Doncic backcourt and Irving on the bench, the Mavericks enjoyed a +13.8 net rating, buoyed by an offensive rating of nearly 126 points per 100 possessions. Remember that five-game stretch that Dante put together with Kyrie Irving out of the lineup due to a freak injury he suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers?

The Exum/Irving backcourt data is a bit fuzzier, since that duo was tethered to Tim Hardaway Jr. the majority of the time. In just 450 possessions with Luka off & Kyrie and Exum on court, the Mavs were -2.5 points per 100 possessions, mainly due to a paltry 120.5 defensive rating.

The reason I have hope for those lineups now is pretty simple: replacing Tim Hardaway Jr. with Quentin Grimes, Klay Thompson or Naji Marshall. Grimes provides the defensive chops that Hardaway lacked, while also shooting 40% from deep. We know what Klay Thompson does to defenses, that spacing is key for Irving and Exum to operate. And lastly, Naji Marshall functions a lot like Exum does as a guy who just connects dots for this team. Having two guys out there who can shape shift into roles that are needed is a valuable commodity.

A lessening burden on the rest of the back court

The biggest thing that Dante Exum’s (and eventually, Luka Doncic’s) return provides is purely anecdotal. Dante Exum lessens the burden on players who have been heavily relied upon lately. When Exum gets his legs back underneath him, his play will mean that the Mavericks could have some leeway if some of their usual guards or forwards are having off nights. With him in the fold, the Mavericks have an extra option if someone like Spencer Dinwiddie or Jaden Hardy are struggling on the ball. Same goes if it’s Grimes, Thompson or Marshall at the combo guard or forward spot: Exum has the ability to soak up some of those minutes.

The Mavericks need able bodies in the worst way right now. Exum is one of the more versatile players that they have, given his size and ability to play multiple spots. He’s no slouch defensively, either, which will certainly help what Dallas does on that end of the floor. Dante is able to compliment a variety of Mavericks lineups, which given how much shuffling has gone on this year, is going to be a huge asset for this team. Dallas, for the first time in a while, is starting to get healthier. That should be a scary thought for the rest of the West.