Utah Jazz news: Dante Exum struggling to adjust

By Bryan Rose | Jul 23, 2014

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dante Exum (Australia) is interviewed after being selected as the number five overall pick to the Utah Jazz in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

For the most part, Utah Jazz rookie point guard Dante Exum played well during the NBA’s summer league. I say for the most part because the Australian also put up fifteen turnovers in comparison to just fourteen assists during the offseason tournament, not exactly the type of numbers you expect from your point.

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Despite that, this was Exum’s first look at NBA-level talent and he knows that he’ll need to improve quickly if he wants to have a good season for the Jazz.

Still just 19, Exum will need to add both weight and muscle in the coming weeks and years as the rookie struggled against bigger players as he noted in an interview with NBA.com.

“The last games I played was high school games and I’m one of the bigger guys out there that can push guys around,” Dante Exum said. “Here, I get into the paint and I’m getting knocked over.”

Since the NBA installed their age-limit, most players we’ve seen enter the league already have some added size thanks to a year or two in college. But with Exum, fresh out of high school essentially, he’s still in the process of building himself up.

Lack of body size or not, Dante Exum remains one of the quicker and more talented players to come out of the 2014 NBA Draft and while an adjustment period was expected, he still brings with him an impressive ceiling.

Exum is expected to play for his national team this summer which should give the point guard some additional time against talented opponents.