3. Dante Exum – PG/SG – Australian Institute of Sport. Where’s Parker? He’s not on the list yet. Dante is a 6’6″ point guard with a 6’9″ wingspan. He has a good first step off-the-dribble, but has an astonishing way to get out into transition with flat-out speed. A good ball-handler, some refinement is required. His high-bounce dribble makes him prone to turnovers against smaller guards. He uses spin moves and multiple crossover techniques to get to the hoop, but otherwise burns his defenders with speed. Against his current competition, he’s often too fast for the help defense to arrive. He’s unselfish, improving with pick-and-roll play, improving with his jumpshot, and loves to drive and kick out to shooters. What is more profound is, he’s able to use his height with a step-back fade away jumpshot from post position, or grab a defensive rebound and push the ball up-court. He has excellent lateral quickness considering his height, which should make him a solid NBA defender against opposing point guards considering modern NBA rules. His ability to force turnovers is more impressive, and with the explosive play of Michael Carter-Williams on the 76ers, teams will be lured to draft Exum high. His passing isn’t as refined as Carter-Williams, but he’s quicker, faster, with a longer wingspan, and similar ability to force turnovers. Don’t worry about the jumpshot, it’ll come around.
The 2014 NBA Draft, A Different Take #1 Through #5
