There are probably no players in the draft with more intrigue and more mystery surrounding them than Dante Exum. The 18-year-old Australian is poised to be a top-five pick in next June’s NBA Draft, and his ceiling appears to be limitless. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, he comes from the same hometown as the 2011 top pick, Kyrie Irving.
Like the 2014 All-Star game MVP Irving, Exum is expected to be a gem for whichever team chooses him. Only 18 years of age, Exum is gifted with all kinds of athletic talent.
Standing 6’6” in height, he has run the point guard position for his FIBA team and has all the tools to thrive in the NBA. Despite still only being 18, he already has tremendous size for a point guard and could surely be a matchup nightmare if guarded by other point guards.
He possesses a decent shot that is still just developing. In addition to that, he is quick, good on his feet in traffic, can finish and has great vision. While he can effectively shoot if need be, it is not his strong suit. Exum himself admits that he likes driving to the hole and then do anything from finishing, kicking it out or finding the big man down low. He does this quite well, too as he is especially graceful and smooth.
At times, he looks like the game comes too easy for him as he can sometimes get away with playing 1 on 5, getting the rebound, bringing it down the floor and then scoring. This surely won’t be the case at the NBA but just goes to show how advanced he is for his age and how talented he is compared to everyone else. He also is very similar to the player we profiled last week, Andrew Wiggins, in that he is just so much more athletic and long in the arms and legs as compared to everyone else on the court.
Exum is projected to be a superstar once his body and game fully develop. That said, he has a few concerns. As mentioned earlier, his shot is just developing and still needs to improve. It comes off very flat at times and needs more of an arc at the NBA level or else it is in danger of just being swatted away at release. He also needs to add more muscle and tone. Exum falls often and goes hard to the cup but at the NBA level with guys like Serge Ibaka standing in the center, he needs to add on some weight. This should also help him defensively. Though not a great defender, he is very good on-ball and one-on-one.
Pro comparison: Tony Parker
The Verdict: The question is, with the No. 3 pick, do the Sixers go for need or ability. If it is ability, the choice between he and say Jabari Parker, would tend to lean towards Exum. The problem is, the Sixers already have a good point guard they believe in, Michael Carter-Williams. The situation is much like the Eagles and Johnny Manziel. To take Exum, the Sixers must be convinced he can play the two guard position, but his shot is the issue. It’d take a leap of faith. I would hope for Wiggins to fall to this slot, but if Exum falls here he could still be a tremendous player. It just would need a lot of figuring out to make it work.
