NBA game time joy for returned Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum after injury
Dante Exum played all 82 NBA games in his rookie year and none last season – so it's no wonder he is loving his time back on the NBA court.
The 21-year-old Australian guard made his regular season return to the NBA when his Utah Jazz lost their opening game to Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. He had earlier played in the Jazz's preseason game and performed well.
Exum only played eight minutes and scored five points against Portland but if he plays well he will surely add to those minutes as the Jazz are missing injured guards Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks.
"We had a lot of guys play well during that game so I think it's going to be a bit where I need to come in and do my job and go from there," Exum said.
Exum goes for the dunk against the Sacramento Kings.Credit:Getty Images
"That is important for me so I don't think they want to throw me in the deep end straight away."
The Jazz are taking things slowly with Exum after he spent all last season recovering from a knee reconstruction. Watching so many games while being unable to play has the Victorian native hungry for every game night.
"The joy about being back on court," Exum said. "The warm ups, the anthem, the whole process of an NBA game and how it goes that is the biggest joy of being back.
"On the floor you hit a shot, that joy you get is what I most love about being back."
Exum has clearly improved his jump shooting, especially from the three-point line, and he plans on even more improvement in that area.
His individual defence has also stood out and he's been challenged to make a difference in that area by the Jazz.
He will also get more chances to score, at least in the early stages of the season, as coach Quin Snyder is using him at the shooting guard position due to the Jazz trading for proven veteran George Hill who starts at point guard.
Snyder uses his bench players in irregular roles as Exum's fellow Australian Joe Ingles has discovered as he plays big minutes one night and rarely the next.
But after being out so long, Exum just wants his chance to perform.
"It's a bit different role but to go from not playing last year and the opportunity to get on the court is something I want to do," Exum said.
"I'm just taking it one step at a time, I just want to take the opportunity to make an impact and get in a game. I think the time will come to get more consistent."
Ingles said Exum had handled his setbacks maturely despite the disappointment of missing all last season and the Boomers' Rio Olympic campaign.
"Dante played all 82 games in his first year and that is very impressive for a rookie and then we are away with the Olympics and for a 19 or 20-year-old it is going to be tough," Ingles said.
"But he did everything he could to be ready for the preseason.
"Obviously he wasn't at the Olympics but to see him dig into his rehab, and I worked out with him a lot in Melbourne, and just see him do everything he can was pretty impressive because you just never know where that [injury] can take anyone when you go from high school to the NBA.
"He was unlucky with that injury to miss a lot of time but I just told him to stay focused and keep on the right things."
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