Dante Exum

[clover]

Hope we get him. For me my top two faves are Exum and Embiid. He is lighting off his first step, making it easy for him to drive to the ring where his athleticism enables him to either jump over anyone in front of him or contort his body around them. Pretty good playmaker, specializes on the drive and kick. He is a solid defender, and with a 6'9" wingspan and very quick feet he has lots of potential at that end. Only real question to his game is his shooting (sound familiar) but he is very young and his jumpshot is improving.

Also just a nice kid. I've played with him sometimes as we're both from Melbourne, similar age etc. and he's the nicest guy.

I really hope we net Dante.

Nice to hear--I really like him too!

[CFAN38]

Looks like Exum really wants to be a laker

signed with Kobe's agent
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/basketball/dantes-peak--canberra-teenager-joins-team-kobe-20140203-31xll.html

mentions liking LA as option

http://lakernation.com/dante-exum-wants-to-join-lakers/

Doesn't want to get stuck on the bench behind a star PG

http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2014/02/dante-exum-doesnt-want-to-play-for-clippers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dante-exum-doesnt-want-to-play-for-clippers


I like this kid as a prospect but have a feeling their will be some Kobe like draft day BS that gets him to LA as long as they get in top 7

[Tr1boy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAdbE72z2VE

From this game i knew Exum will be a decent player in the nba.

The only negative part about his game is inability to jump very high. Doesn't look like he can dunk. Might get stuffed more in the nba

Exum = taller barbosa. Still so quick to the basket and will be a handful to guard

[crimson_stallion]

If Parker, Embiid and Wiggins are all off of the board I would be happy to take Exum as a consolation prize at 4th.

I'd take Exum over Parker personally - he might not be as good a scorer to start with, but he has the advantage over Parker in almost every other area (relatively to his position) and I think he has way higher upside.

I'd probably take him over Embiid also, as I have serious question marks as to how he will turn out.  Bigs with superior talent but mediocre IQ have typically disappointed in the past (Dwight Howard, Josh Smith, DeAndre Jordan, etc).  They tend to become good players regardless, but usually fall short of the huge expectations people place on them.  I think Embiid is pretty much guaranteed to become productive NBA starter, but I get the feeling all of the people making "Hakeem" comparisons are going to end up disappointed.

If it came down to Wiggins vs Exum then that would be a tough call for me.  I could see Wiggins taking a very similar career path to Paul Georg and Exum is almost an exact clone of a young Penny Hardaway.   I have a feeling those two guys are going to prove the elite of this draft 2-3 years down the track.

[vjcsmoke]

I love the game that I'm seeing from Exum in the highlight clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSadteflk9Y

Only one HUGE problem why he'll never end up in green.  He's an Australian player.  And the Celtics have NEVER taken a foreign player in the top 10.  EVER.  Just recently we passed on Giannis Adetekunbo (Greek).  Not so recently we passed on Tony Parker (French). 

I find it hard to see us taking a foreign Australian national player with a top 5 pick.  It would be an unprecedented departure from Celtic selection patterns.

[clover]

Looks like Exum really wants to be a laker

signed with Kobe's agent
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/basketball/dantes-peak--canberra-teenager-joins-team-kobe-20140203-31xll.html

mentions liking LA as option

http://lakernation.com/dante-exum-wants-to-join-lakers/

Doesn't want to get stuck on the bench behind a star PG

http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2014/02/dante-exum-doesnt-want-to-play-for-clippers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dante-exum-doesnt-want-to-play-for-clippers


I like this kid as a prospect but have a feeling their will be some Kobe like draft day BS that gets him to LA as long as they get in top 7

Bummer--hadn't seen that about him before.

[hwangjini_1]

Looks like Exum really wants to be a laker

signed with Kobe's agent
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/basketball/dantes-peak--canberra-teenager-joins-team-kobe-20140203-31xll.html

mentions liking LA as option

http://lakernation.com/dante-exum-wants-to-join-lakers/

Doesn't want to get stuck on the bench behind a star PG

http://thehoopdoctors.com/online2/2014/02/dante-exum-doesnt-want-to-play-for-clippers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dante-exum-doesnt-want-to-play-for-clippers


I like this kid as a prospect but have a feeling their will be some Kobe like draft day BS that gets him to LA as long as they get in top 7

1. lots of non-lakers have the same agent as bryant.

2. perhaps we have all forgotten, but the celtics' very own paul pierce wanted to be laker when he was in college. he grew up in that area. but look at him now....dipped and dyed in green. 

back to topic, exum looks to be very talented, though not a strong shooter at this stage of his career. i would be delighted if the celtics wound up with him.

and who knows? if ainge takes exum, it may trigger some sort of draft day trade for bradley or rondo, bringing in another player or draft pick.

[hwangjini_1]

I love the game that I'm seeing from Exum in the highlight clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSadteflk9Y

Only one HUGE problem why he'll never end up in green.  He's an Australian player.  And the Celtics have NEVER taken a foreign player in the top 10.  EVER.  Just recently we passed on Giannis Adetekunbo (Greek).  Not so recently we passed on Tony Parker (French). 

I find it hard to see us taking a foreign Australian national player with a top 5 pick.  It would be an unprecedented departure from Celtic selection patterns.

well, another way to look at this is to compare the number of times the celtics have had a top 10 pick to the number of times a "top 10 worthy" international player was available. and see whether the celtics had the chance to draft him, but passed.

how many times would this have had to happen that would make it a pattern for ainge? or the celtics?

i cant think of very many times this occurred to be honest. and by "very many times" i mean zero.

maybe in 2006 when the celtics picked at foye #6 and sene went at #10? was sene worth taking at #6?

in 1996 they got dallas' pick at #6 and embarked upon the 'toine era. the first international taken was potapenko at #12, then peja stojaković at #14 and steve nash at #15.

the last time before then the celtics were top 10 was in 1986, when they picked the ill-fated len bias. and the only international player taken in the first round was sabonis, at #24.

besides, do you really believe ainge would have passed on hakeem, patrick ewing, duncan, gasol, ming, or nowitzki because they were international players?
 
for what they are worth, rumors at the time said that the celtics wanted to draft nowitzki at #10, but dallas grabbed him first. so the celtics "settled" for paul pierce. 

also, while not top 10, ainge did move up to get olly...who hails from canada.  so, at least ainge is not genetically pre-disposed against international players entirely.

sorry, but i do not see a convincing argument that ainge will refuse to pick exum because exum is currently located outside the US.

[PaulAllen]

guy can creates mismatches like no other in this draft per position... great use of his body and can take it to the rim... I think he will be a great scorer but not until maybe his 3rd year..

Still think DA might trade that pick... He is not a guy who wants to win and his assets are really high now so if a franchise [player comes around he will pull the trigger on anyone or any pick the Celtics own..

[TheBigTicket23]

The only negative part about his game is inability to jump very high. Doesn't look like he can dunk. Might get stuffed more in the nba

True, but he can dunk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udv_mlTycf0

I would take this kid if he is available at #5

[TBreezy]

I see the comment earlier up about penny, but I think he reminds me more of kerry kittles. Lanky shooting guard who would rather pass first and second than shoot. Kittles was a number ~7 pick and has good until his knee blew out and zapped him of his speed.  I would be happy with Exum - but he is not likely the alpha dog we need.

[jr_3421]

Exum in theory is a combo guard but from everything I've read he is more a PG. He was forced to play SG because he deferred to Dennis Schroeder and since that was the basically the only time most people have seen him play, he gets pegged as a SG. Exum in an interview I saw stated that he was a PG.

I would love to get Exum but I think that would mean the end of Rondo in Boston.

[NikoZea]

If we got him we could run a dual PG offense without sacrificing size. Rondo and Exum are both high IQ guys, and both appear to move well off the ball. That's a dynamite backcourt.

[PaulAllen]

I see Exum more of a SG than running the point especially as an 18 yo coming into the league...

[vjcsmoke]

for what they are worth, rumors at the time said that the celtics wanted to draft nowitzki at #10, but dallas grabbed him first. so the celtics "settled" for paul pierce. 

DA wasn't in charge in that year's draft.  And rumors are just that.  Who we did end up picking was Paul Pierce, an AMERICAN player.

also, while not top 10, ainge did move up to get olly...who hails from canada.  so, at least ainge is not genetically pre-disposed against international players entirely.

I'm not saying that DA is some kind of racist.  I'm saying that he has a tough job and evaluating internationals is VERY tough, that's why he passed on Adetekunbo.  Too risky.

Olynyk on the other hand went to school at Gonzaga, and faced off against AMERICAN college competition on a daily basis.  It was much easier to project him, and even Danny tempered our expectations by saying that he saw KO as a 'role player' and ergo not a starter.

I don't see any convincing arguments that if the Celtics had their preference they would rather take their risk with an American basketball player or at least one who was in the American collegiate system.  That's why I see Exum becoming a Celtic very doubtful when there are many other potential prospects with American training and who have faced American competition that is easier to project to the NBA level.