Mavs' Luka Doncic Praises Dante Exum's 'Amazing' Impact Amid Career Year
SALT LAKE CITY — The Dallas Mavericks have found something when it comes to starting Dante Exum. He has point guard skills he's naturally always had. Still, with an improved jump shot and the frame to guard wings, the Mavs have found one of the most intriguing complementary perimeter players possible to deploy next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
"He's a basketball player. We're trying to keep this simple," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of Exum's impact. "I know we're looking for a buzzword or something different in the world, but he's a basketball player — playing his role and being a star in his role, it's a pretty cool thing because he's not a max player. But he's playing like a max player.
"It's a beautiful thing to watch. He deserves Everything he's getting right now," Kidd explained. "The expectations were off the charts for him when he was drafted at 18, but sometimes it just takes people a little bit longer."
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Exum has averaged 9.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 29 games this season, meaning he's having the most productive campaign of his NBA career after returning to the league from EuroLeague. His production has only increased as a starter, averaging 15.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in those 13 performances.
The latest performance Exum provided featured him scoring 19 points and dishing out five assists while continuing to offer on-ball defensive impact in a 132-122 win over the Golden State Warriors. When he started alongside Doncic, the Mavs produced an 8-4 record in those 12 games. He's provided a needed secondary threat to attack the paint next to Doncic, whether as an initiator or off the catch when spacing the floor, in addition to continuing to convert consistently on open shots.
"Amazing, man. Honestly, he's been amazing so far," Doncic said of Exum. "Not just really good, but amazing. His IQ is insane. He's driving to the basket. His layups, he's been hitting 3s. I'm really happy that he's on the team because he's been a great addition to our team."
Much of Exum's starts have come when either Doncic or Irving has been sidelined. However, the team was set to start him alongside the two superstars and did so beginning with the team's Dec. 8 matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, but that was the game Irving suffered his right heel contusion, which has since sidelined him for the past 12 games. Dallas will continue to start Exum when Irving is back.
“What he's done is put himself as a starter, and we'll keep him as a starter," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of Exum. "If we're healthy tomorrow, he's going to start with Kai and Luka."
The goal for the Mavs is to deploy multiple ball-handling threats between Doncic, Irving, and Exum, enabling them to get into more half-court actions and push the pace, quickly getting into the offense. It'll take pressure away from the main options while maximizing the gravity they pose on the court when playing off-ball. It also enables more creativity and options with two-man screening actions to hunt switches.
"When you have three ball handlers, I think we've figured that philosophy out," Kidd said. "That ingredient of having three playmakers out there makes the game easier for Kai and Luka and puts a lot of pressure on their defense. To have Exum out there, it helps.”
The Mavs should soon see Doncic, Irving, and Exum on the floor together, with Irving being upgraded to questionable ahead of Monday's matchup against the Utah Jazz. However, the status of all three players is uncertain for the game.
