Dallas Mavericks Player previews: Dante Exum

In the playoffs, took a dive. Exum shot 36% from the floor, and that's buoyed by him hitting 35% of his one 3 pointer attempted per game. The leash was shorter, as Exum saw his minutes slashed down to 7 per game. It came as a surprise to a lot of those who have any sort of familiarity with European hoops, as Exum played in some bonkers atmospheres with Partizan .

Exum's outlook this year will be determined by whether or not he has the trust of Jason Kidd and the rest of the coaching staff. Luckily, since the Finals he has gotten to play in the Olympics , where he averaged 11 points & 4 assists in the 3 games he played for Australia. The shot from 3 wasn't great, but it was very small sample size at 2/7 (28.6%). However, at 48.3% from the field, he was efficient enough. That stretch of basketball could do a world of help for his mental game, as getting the playoffs out of his head can't be a bad thing.

Best case scenario Exum slots in first or second in that group and finds himself in essentially the same role as last season. What made Exum such a great piece last year was his ability to fit with any lineup. He fit so well alongside both Luka and Kyrie, both separately or in 3 guard lineups.

Dante could also potentially fit nicely next to new addition Quentin Grimes. The defensive abilities of Grimes, Exum's playmaking and versatility and one of Kyrie or Luka would make for a nice backcourt group. Hopefully we get the chance to see it this year.

If we're being greedy, Exum could also stand to gain by shooting more, especially from 3. Even if his percentage dropped by 25%, he would be a more effective shooter by hitting 37% of 4 threes per game (4.44 expected points) than the 49% he hit last year on only 2 attempts (2.94 expected points). The addition of Klay Thompson could potentially open up some space for Dante to get a couple more shots up per game.

Worst case scenario We know that Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic will start, but beyond that there could be 5 players competing for minutes at guard. Exum, Jaden Hardy, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie will all feel like they deserve minutes, and AJ Lawson with a good camp could be in that mix, too. The worst case for Exum is that he slots in at 4th in that group, which would cause him to never really get the minutes he needs to catch the rhythm of the season.

Season goals

Stay healthy. The 55 games Dante appeared in last season were the most NBA games he's played in a season since 2016-17, his 3rd year in the league. Any lengthy injury would obviously derail his year regardless of how he looks early on. The guard depth on this team is seen as a strength. Any real time missed could set Exum back far enough to where his role would be diminished. Earn a pay raise. Being the connecting piece that he is, there's certainly a world where Exum plays well enough that Dallas feels they can't lose him. He's a glue guy that is willing to do the little things that contribute to winning basketball. Every team needs that, and Exum could continue to be that in Dallas with another strong year.

Last year, Dante Exum proved that he belonged in the NBA. Now entering the last year of his deal with Dallas, it's time for him to elevate again. He's in the advantageous position of getting to play next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on a regular basis. The role Exum carved out for himself is stable and important to Dallas' success, as we saw last year. If he can continue to take advantage of his opportunities once again, he'll earn himself a raise moving forward. With relative health, Dante's inferno should be fired up once again in 2024-25.