What If Dante Exum Falls To The Celtics?

Draftexpress now has Smart going 4th to Orlando and Utah picking Vonleh with #5.  That means that Dante Exum, whom most people had dropping no lower than 4th, falling to us.

Assuming #6 doesn't go away in a trade, would you take Exum or Gordon or someone else?

Pluses:

Drafting Exum makes Rondo tradeable.  We can get almost anybody we want for Rondo and we won't have to pay Rondo's max-or-near-max contract next year. You want a center? You can get any center you want (except perhaps D12) for Rondo. It would be a Kevin Love/Kevin Garnett trade in reverse for us.


Minuses:

He has never played against competition we can measure him against.


Here's an excerpt from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20140203/nba-prospect-watch-dante-exum/


Exum has shown the foot speed to beat guards off the dribble and frequently get to the rim. His first step is absolutely lethal. He also possesses a 6-foot-9 wingspan and while he isn't explosive dunker, he can finish around the rim with an array of moves with either hand. Unfortunately, Exum has the same issue as another elite point guard in this draft, Marcus Smart: the mechanics on his shot are not consistent, and as a result, neither is his jump shot. The good news for Exum is that NBA teams love to take chances on ultra-talented guards with his size, even with questionable jumpers. The success of the similarly built and talented Michael Carter-Williams in Philadelphia only enhances Exum's case.


From Draftexpress's page on him:

6'6" w/shoes, 196#, 6'9 1/2" wingspan, 31 1/2" no step vertical, 34 1/2" max vertical.






bob


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I voted Yes.

Why does taking Exum (or Mahcus Smaht) automatically lead to trading Rondo away?

gyso

sam wrote:I wouldn't see Exum and Rondo as competing for the lead PG spot.  I would envision Exum's primary job as being a swing man between SG and SF as well as backing up Rondo at PG.  I think Exum could potentially become a valuable sixth man.

I understand that Exum's shooting would have to become more consistent for him to be truly effective at the SG and SF positions.  It happened with Bradley, so it's not impossible.  But what I really like is the idea of having a swing man with good handle, especially after the Spurs wound up winning a championship with one of the better collective ball-handling efforts in recent years.

Sam

sam,


I believe that Exum sees himself as a point guard first, SG definitely 2nd and as a SF not at all.  I think therein is the heart of the competition.  Your perception of who he should be doesn't agree with his own. Exum has said that he wants to go to a team that "needs him". Well, that's a good attitude, but if he thinks the need he fills is at PG...

He's only 196# too.  That would make him about 35# lighter than other SFs.  He's built to be a SG and, if he has the talents, a very nice-sized PG.

Here's a 6:44 minute long video that shows Exum's possession-by-possession effect when he played against Team USA.  If you look at his skills, he has point guard skills much more than SG or SF skills.  Not crazy about his free throw shooting mechanics either, too much snap and not enough flow.