The Dante Exum Thread

[in-limbo]

When they drew the 5th pick I literally jumped in the air and screamed, "don't be us". I knew we had dodged it as far as we could and 4th would be our pick. I'll take it all things considered.

[MagicFan32]

http://hoopsanalyst.com/?p=1070

Good statistical analysis on Exum. I recommend checking out his process for identifying talent through stats because he has some great insights.

Good read, thanks for sharing. Someone forward this to BMP lol

irrelevant the writer obviously works for exum's management team

[Baka_La Flame]

Honestly i don't think we can lose in any situation, I want Exum in the worst way because i think it kills two birds with one stone it fills a need and it's not like you can't say for sure that he is or isn't the BPA at that point in the draft. If some team takes him before us which is unlikely, we still have Smart on the board which is at least for me a 1b to Exum's 1a. Then from there we can see the interest in some of our vets, try to package the 12 pick+ Afflalo and or Nelson to move up to the 8th or 9th spot and see if we can somehow snag Randle/Gordon. Could you imagine a team like this......

Exum
Oladipo
Harris
Randle
Vucevic

Literally drooling at that possibility, but all in all we're in a nice spot right now. We have options, we can move up or down if we want but it's a damn shame we got to wait a month or so to find out what we do.

So your saying you would take Smart over Embid or Parker?? No way...

[Smooth_E]

http://hoopsanalyst.com/?p=1070

Good statistical analysis on Exum. I recommend checking out his process for identifying talent through stats because he has some great insights.

Good read, thanks for sharing. Someone forward this to BMP lol

irrelevant the writer obviously works for exum's management team

Numbers don't lie, chief.

[MagicFan101]

Now that we have the #4 pick, I am 100% on the Exum bandwagon. Basically, the decision is being made for us unless something crazy happens with the first three picks.

But still... I don't see how anyone can watch the videos in the OP and be as excited about his as people have been. Do you not see how pathetic everyone on the court is? Anyone with a tiny bit of athleticism would look great against that.

The potential is there, he measured well at the combine, he apparently scored high in interviews with a number of teams and the only players rated higher than him (Wigggins, Embiid and Parker) are not likely to be available to us so this seems pretty easy. But nothing in those videos convinces me that we are instantly getting Penny 2.0 and have a straight shot back to being an elite team in the east.

By taking Exum, I instantly lose interest in Smart but I still want to try and use AA + #12 to trade up for another player. We NEED a strong PF. Exum + Randle or Vonleh would be a fantastic draft.

Exum, Nelson
Dipo, _____
Harris / Harkless
Randle, O'quinn
Vuc, _____

In free agency we need to add a sharp shooter and another big man.

The problem is, who do we trade with? Sacramento wants out of the #8 spot but they will get better offers with respect to need. So that leaves the Jazz, Celtics or Lakers. Do any of them need / want AA + #12 enough for that?

[MagicFan101]

Exum is still so young.

Do we have the right coaching staff to mold him into the best possible player he can be? I fully believe SVG could have done that, but what about JV?

I'm not talking about firing JV or looking for a new coach. I'm simply talking about his skils as a mentor and a teacher of the game which are not the same as being a good head coach. The Spurs relied so heavily on their aging stars rather than raising young talent. This was part of the reason I was scratching my head on JV as our coach for the rebuilding years. So I ask again, do we have the right coaching staff to help Exum be great?

[TreasureCoast]

I think Exum is the 4th best guy in this draft and especially for us (over Parker and Embiid)

BUT...

Hennigan has not drafted a young/18 year old/ freshmen yet.

He has the reputation for drafting established college guys. Which Exum clearly is not.

My preference is Exum and move up for Vonleh but they are both 18 right now and even though Exum has the potential for greatness my gut tells me we prefer Smart at this time unless Exum has an incredible workout and interviews.

BUT...

This draft is a lil different than the past 2 obviously and Hennigan I know is betting his career on this draft and they have been preparing for 2 years.

I think if we end up with Smart and whoever at 12 I will be dissapointed, if we move up then I know he is swinging and he put the work in, but whatever I trust this GM (future executive of the year i hope)

[MellowRose]

Exum is still so young.

Do we have the right coaching staff to mold him into the best possible player he can be? I fully believe SVG could have done that, but what about JV?

I'm not talking about firing JV or looking for a new coach. I'm simply talking about his skils as a mentor and a teacher of the game which are not the same as being a good head coach. The Spurs relied so heavily on their aging stars rather than raising young talent. This was part of the reason I was scratching my head on JV as our coach for the rebuilding years. So I ask again, do we have the right coaching staff to help Exum be great?

Bring in penny as a coach of some sorts and have him mentor both exum and oladipo.



Best idea that has ever been posted on this board.

Sent from my HTC One X using RealGM Forums mobile app

[KillMonger]

Video discussing draft prospects and the lottery, Exum convo

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua0LSPNr1bo[/youtube]

[Orlwillbeback]

His inability to be an EXPLOSIVE athlete bothers me a little.

He is not explosive? He looks really damm fast and quick to me. He is not going to jump like Vince Carter but that doesn't bother me.

Sorry, I meant vertically. Yea, he's long and extremely quick, but he's not someone who can get up and dunk. I'm assuming it won't be a problem, though, but it's just something that bothers me personally.

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

see:

7:45


1:54

[Skin]

Exum is still so young.

Do we have the right coaching staff to mold him into the best possible player he can be? I fully believe SVG could have done that, but what about JV?

I'm not talking about firing JV or looking for a new coach. I'm simply talking about his skils as a mentor and a teacher of the game which are not the same as being a good head coach. The Spurs relied so heavily on their aging stars rather than raising young talent. This was part of the reason I was scratching my head on JV as our coach for the rebuilding years. So I ask again, do we have the right coaching staff to help Exum be great?

Considering the impressive development feats that we have witnessed so far, my answer is an astounding yes. Stan has his way of developing guys, but it's a long and arduous process. Winning takes precedence. Players have to earn his trust first and also fit what he likes to do within his structure. JV has not prioritized winning as much as Stan, but he has shown instant results in terms of player development.

- Oladipo as a PG
Let's be real here. SVG would NEVER have given that a chance in hell. Dipo surprised a lot of people in just 1 year under JV playing that role and his future is brighter because of it.

- AA emerges as an All-Star caliber type player
AA experienced the best growth and best year of his career under Vaughn. Often thought of as a 3rd or 4th option, AA blossomed as a leader and as a go to guy for the Magic.

- Harris solidifies himself as more than a flash in the pan.
Even after his come out party last year, there were many who doubted his legitimacy. In year 2 under Vaughn, Harris has solidified his status and is now counted on to be a #1 option for the Magic. Vaughn has developed him to be a leader and a consistent source of production.

- Vucevic's story is on par with Harris. In came a promising young talent, out came a flourishing young star. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors, but the product on the floor is undeniable in terms of the growth we've seen.

- KOQ shines over Nicholson
It would've been easily justifiable for Vaughn to play the guy who was drafted higher, but Vaughn let's competition determine playing time and KOQ has simply outperformed Nicholson. This is a drastic change from SVG who played favorites... always going with the player that has been with the team longer or going with the vets over a rookie or simply putting people in the doghouse for personal reasons. It's nice to have a player development coach who encourages competition and rewards the best player.

I fully believe Exum would be free to express his game under Vaughn and be brought along carefully. We've seen JV carefully handle Harkless and Nicholson. Giving them chances to prove themselves, but controlling their minutes as to not damage their confidence while they develop. Under Stan, my guess would be that Exum would be forced to fit a certain structure, take him away from his strengths and be shoved like a square peg in a round hole... and this is AFTER coming off the bench in favor of Meer. Whereas Exum would start on Day 1 for Vaughn.

[MagicFan101]

Exum is still so young.

Do we have the right coaching staff to mold him into the best possible player he can be? I fully believe SVG could have done that, but what about JV?

I'm not talking about firing JV or looking for a new coach. I'm simply talking about his skils as a mentor and a teacher of the game which are not the same as being a good head coach. The Spurs relied so heavily on their aging stars rather than raising young talent. This was part of the reason I was scratching my head on JV as our coach for the rebuilding years. So I ask again, do we have the right coaching staff to help Exum be great?

Considering the impressive development feats that we have witnessed so far, my answer is an astounding yes. Stan has his way of developing guys, but it's a long and arduous process. Winning takes precedence. Players have to earn his trust first and also fit what he likes to do within his structure. JV has not prioritized winning as much as Stan, but he has shown instant results in terms of player development.

You made a lot of great points, but I am not a fan of reading into players putting up nice stats on bad teams. The better teams in the league took the night off when Orlando showed up on their schedule while many of our fellow bottom team were fighting Orlando in the tank race.

The Dipo PG experiment came out of necessity and wasn't really a success.

AA scored 1.5 ppg more than the season before while attempting 1.1 FT per game. Clearly this tiny increase in production was a result of an increase in usage rather than a change to his game inspired by the coaches.

I'm sorry but Harris is a #6 option (as in bench player) on a team focused on winning games.

Defense is one thing that can shine through a losing effort. Opponents aren't always as physical defensively against a team they don't consider a threat, but everyone like to score points and will go at you on that end of the floor. So I did really like what I saw from Dipo and O'quinn.

As far as I am concerned we havn't seem anything yet to believe JV can take a great young talent and build him into a super star. He hasn't had the material to work with yet, so that really isn't his fault. Hence I'm still asking the question of whether or not he can because these next few years are going to be huge for Exum.

[Bensational]

Give Exum a summer camp training with and practicing against Dipo, and he's gonna figure out pretty quickly what he'll need to do to handle faster NBA players.

What is most underrated about Exum is his spatial awareness. I don't think people realize how much easier he will make the game for the rest of our players. He knows where guys are around him and he makes passes to guys in great scoring positions. Vuc is gonna instantly see more touches in the post from handoffs (moreso than Jameer provides). Regardless of competition he has played against, if you can show an ability to find guys in a crowd at any level, you'll be able to find them in the NBA, where players move much better off the ball.

A mate of mine played NBL against Exum's father Cecil, and he (my mate) was saying that just from what he's heard from other Aus players who have played against NBA talent, Exum is definitely going to need some adjustment time to get used to the speed of the NBA game.

Thankfully it looks like he's got the athleticism and skill to keep up, and the brains to work out how to be better than the rest. Just my take.

[Orlwillbeback]

I think Exum is the 4th best guy in this draft and especially for us (over Parker and Embiid)

BUT...

Hennigan has not drafted a young/18 year old/ freshmen yet.

He has the reputation for drafting established college guys. Which Exum clearly is not.

My preference is Exum and move up for Vonleh but they are both 18 right now and even though Exum has the potential for greatness my gut tells me we prefer Smart at this time unless Exum has an incredible workout and interviews.

BUT...

This draft is a lil different than the past 2 obviously and Hennigan I know is betting his career on this draft and they have been preparing for 2 years.

I think if we end up with Smart and whoever at 12 I will be dissapointed, if we move up then I know he is swinging and he put the work in, but whatever I trust this GM (future executive of the year i hope)

henny has a rep for taking the BPA regardless of age.

he knew oladipo was bpa. that much is simple

we drafted nicholson because we thought he was bpa, and measured better than sullinger.

oquinn was a steal

the fact is this is the first draft we have to get a franchise player, and we will not blow it just draft a "safe" guy.

[MagicFan101]

Give Exum a summer camp training with and practicing against Dipo, and he's gonna figure out pretty quickly what he'll need to do to handle faster NBA players.

Hmm, I'm surprised I didn't think of this yet. Yeah, I think practicing with a great defender who is also a great athlete like Dipo would do Exum wonders.

[Skin]

Give Exum a summer camp training with and practicing against Dipo, and he's gonna figure out pretty quickly what he'll need to do to handle faster NBA players.

What is most underrated about Exum is his spatial awareness. I don't think people realize how much easier he will make the game for the rest of our players. He knows where guys are around him and he makes passes to guys in great scoring positions. Vuc is gonna instantly see more touches in the post from handoffs (moreso than Jameer provides). Regardless of competition he has played against, if you can show an ability to find guys in a crowd at any level, you'll be able to find them in the NBA, where players move much better off the ball.

A mate of mine played NBL against Exum's father Cecil, and he (my mate) was saying that just from what he's heard from other Aus players who have played against NBA talent, Exum is definitely going to need some adjustment time to get used to the speed of the NBA game.

Thankfully it looks like he's got the athleticism and skill to keep up, and the brains to work out how to be better than the rest. Just my take.

Never really thought about this before, but considering the high amount of Aussies we have here, I think this forum will EXPLODE if we really do end up with Exum.

[ChiefWiggumz]

In order to grab Vonleh or Randle we will probably need to be in the top 7 or 8. I don't see any of those teams trading down for us, even with the inclusion of Afflalo.

[tiderulz]

What is most underrated about Exum is his spatial awareness. I don't think people realize how much easier he will make the game for the rest of our players. He knows where guys are around him and he makes passes to guys in great scoring positions.

not sure about this yet. we will have to see if he can adjust to the bigger, faster NBA game. A lot different than playing against high schoolers.

[Optimus_Steel]

I do think his speed, ball handling, size, and IQ will translate to the league.

[Greenraida]

One of the big benefits will be me being able to buy NBA gear in australia now- surely there will be exum jerseys floating around!