Dante Exum declares for 2014 NBA Draft

[Harambe]

Bleacher Report? I expected better from you, Spy haha

Even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while

 

[Zulu]

In his pants!!!

 

[Hitman]

The video is impressive, but he isn't playing against anyone.

The part where he's playing for his school? Definitely. That's about the same level as when he's training against the chairs. Maybe even easier.

High-school ball in Australia isn't like high-school ball in America, not only is basketball a secondary sport here (Australian Football or Rugby is the top winter sport, depending on which state you're in), it isn't even the top level of junior basketball, as each state runs its own junior league which would be closer in standard to high-school ball. However, the best junior basketballers in Australia, like Dante, get scholarships to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where they run an intensive training program. While at the AIS they still go to high school as normal, and the closest high school to the AIS is Lake Ginninderra (hence "Lakers"), so most of the AIS players go there. Basically his high-school team was an All-Star line-up against regular schools where basketball isn't even the #1 sport. No surprise his team won.

The AIS program, though, features intensive training, comparable to college-level, and with an emphasis on fundamentals, and games against competent opposition. The training session in the vid is an AIS session. The AIS program was started in the late '70s to produce basketballers that could compete against the college-level USA players then playing in the Olympics, and its aim is still to produce Olympic-standard basketballers. Almost every Aussie that has played in the NBA (including Longley, Bogut, Mills, Baynes, Dellavedova and Andersen) is an AIS Graduate.

From the AIS website, about their program:

Both the Basketball Australia AIS women’s and men’s programs train six days a week, 1-3 times a day. Training includes team practice, “individuals”, where players will usually work on specific skill development and technical aspects of their game, as well as strength and conditioning work in the gym. Team practices usually last between 1-2 hours and like games, involve a lot of high intensity efforts interspersed with variable amounts of recovery.

Both the men’s and women’s program go on 1-2 overseas trips a year to play against under-age national teams or semi-professional club sides. The AIS also hosts overseas touring teams multiple times each year. Most of the athletes will also be involved in the annual week-long under-age National Championships, while many will also compete in the U/19 World Championships, which are held every two years.

Dante is a member of the junior national team, and there are some brief snippets of a game from the U19 World Championships in there. Dante is also part of the senior national team program, and he was the youngest player ever to be included in the squad, although his on-court appearances have been brief.

So basically, Dante has been participating in a college-level program for two years, and has played against the best players in the word in his age group, yet this video focuses on him playing in what is a glorified pick-up game.

 

[franklin]

He reminds me more of Burks than Hayward. Maybe you can call him Burks with Hayward's head on his shoulders (he seems to know where to be and how to get there). He has better hesitation moves than Burks. Fast and long first step in either direction. Improving shot, but definitely an attacker first and foremost.

Eh. Burks can jump over a telephone book. Exum has no vertical and won't get his shots off in the NBA.

I wouldn't trade Burks for Exum if that were an option right now.

 

[The Midnight]

The part where he's playing for his school? Definitely. That's about the same level as when he's training against the chairs. Maybe even easier.

High-school ball in Australia isn't like high-school ball in America, not only is basketball a secondary sport here (Australian Football or Rugby is the top winter sport, depending on which state you're in), it isn't even the top level of junior basketball, as each state runs its own junior league which would be closer in standard to high-school ball. However, the best junior basketballers in Australia, like Dante, get scholarships to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where they run an intensive training program. While at the AIS they still go to high school as normal, and the closest high school to the AIS is Lake Ginninderra (hence "Lakers"), so most of the AIS players go there. Basically his high-school team was an All-Star line-up against regular schools where basketball isn't even the #1 sport. No surprise his team won.

The AIS program, though, features intensive training, comparable to college-level, and with an emphasis on fundamentals, and games against competent opposition. The training session in the vid is an AIS session. The AIS program was started in the late '70s to produce basketballers that could compete against the college-level USA players then playing in the Olympics, and its aim is still to produce Olympic-standard basketballers. Almost every Aussie that has played in the NBA (including Longley, Bogut, Mills, Baynes, Dellavedova and Andersen) is an AIS Graduate.

From the AIS website, about their program:



Dante is a member of the junior national team, and there are some brief snippets of a game from the U19 World Championships in there. Dante is also part of the senior national team program, and he was the youngest player ever to be included in the squad, although his on-court appearances have been brief.

So basically, Dante has been participating in a college-level program for two years, and has played against the best players in the word in his age group, yet this video focuses on him playing in what is a glorified pick-up game.

Hey bro, are you the guy with wife and kids wearing Jazz gear who sent the photo to Root Sports in the "Where in the World" segment a couple of games ago??!!??!!!


They were also Australians.

 

[Tony]

Awwww **** I was wrong!! So umm, what would be the point in drafting him? He's Burks.

 

[Tony]

Michael Frazier > Dante Exum

 

[fishonjazz]

In his pants!!!

S.I.M.P squirrels in my pants

 

[Hitman]

Hey bro, are you the guy with wife and kids wearing Jazz gear who sent the photo to Root Sports in the "Where in the World" segment a couple of games ago??!!??!!!


They were also Australians.

Nope, not me.

 

[spycam1]

Bleacher Report? I expected better from you, Spy haha

It has all the same tweets and quotes you'll find in other articles, only this one has a sweet *** video.

People bitch about BR too much. The quality completely varies from article to article. I've read some insanely good stuff on BR.

 

[franklin]

It has all the same tweets and quotes you'll find in other articles, only this one has a sweet *** video.

People bitch about BR too much. The quality completely varies from article to article. I've read some insanely good stuff on BR.

Pretty much. It has the same pr issue that every rag that'll let any old amateur or novice publish in. I'll take it over the garbage SB Nation manufactures (AllThatAmare excluded). Nothing's worse than reading homer fans without a clue who think they know everything. That's SB's Jazz section in a nutshell.

 

[Batman]

I've read some insanely good stuff on BR.

Really?!! I am incredulous, but I will be more open minded about reading articles from BR. Honestly, the first 10 or so articles I read from bleacher report were so bad it left an indelible mark.

 

[Batman]

Even a blind squirrel will find a nut once in a while

In his pants!!!

Hahaha. Awesome. Witty, Zulu.

 

[Fabtrey]

just haven't seen enough of him, but he did remind me a little bit of penny hardaway.

 

[UGLI baby]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGIgf-ICHM


I Declare...For The NBA DRAAAAAFT!!!

 

[silesian]

This is classic "skipping steps" He shoulda gone to college. Like his talent and physical gifts. Inadequate BB IQ right now, esp for PG (could improve, who knows?). Will be a major project, what team will have patience to develop him as he struggles for first 2 years?

 

[Coach Ellis]

This is classic "skipping steps" He shoulda gone to college. Like his talent and physical gifts. Inadequate BB IQ right now, esp for PG (could improve, who knows?). Will be a major project, what team will have patience to develop him as he struggles for first 2 years?

Whoever they are, I'll be surprised if they're not in the top 5 picks. I think his athleticism gets him drafted before he should be.

 

[[size/HUGE] fixed [/size]]

Exum definitely with less hops than Burks.

Maybe CJ McCollum is a decent comp, but Exum is much younger and less tested. Exum with the higher ceiling.

 

[[size/HUGE] fixed [/size]]

I like Exum, but I like the following scenario better:

Let's say the Jazz get the 5th - 7th pick (and Embiid, Wiggins, Randle, Parker are gone), I'd rather they trade down to around 9 or 10 and select Gary Harris, and use the additional asset plus GSW to move up to select James Young.

 

[franklin]

Exum definitely with less hops than Burks.

Maybe CJ McCollum is a decent comp, but Exum is much younger and less tested. Exum with the higher ceiling.

Have you ever seen an NBA player with his build who can barely dunk? Dude's like 6'10" wingspan and can't throw down.

He plays Kobe's triple threat game against white, redheaded (stepchild) highschoolers and gets shut down. Sure, he'll be able to pull up and fade like Kobe, and he'll be able to burn past defenders like Monte (dat first step yo!), but he won't ever finish as well as this rookie kid challenging Trey for the ROTY.