The Dallas Mavericks’ shot at redemption begins in less than two months.
Dallas fell short against the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals, and Mavs supporters are eager for the team’s return to the court at the end of October.
They are among the favourites to win the Western Conference again, and their impressive offseason has elevated them among the league’s top contenders. While there is a lot of optimism about this club entering the new season, there are some huge questions that must be answered.
Some of these issues include who will start at centre and whether Klay Thompson’s defence will be adequate, but Mavs supporters are also concerned about something else.
Dante Exum is in risk of losing his spot in the Mavericks’ rotation.
Who will be left out of the rotation among Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, and Spencer Dinwiddie?
There was a lot of hype surrounding Dinwiddie’s signing earlier this offseason, but Mavs supporters appear to be betting big on Exum, who offered a lot of value last season.
When asked “which of these three guards will play the most minutes next season for the Dallas Mavericks,” Mavs fans picked Dinwiddie first, Hardy second, and Exum third. Despite having a tremendous season last year, including a strong spell as a starter, Mavs fans appear to be down on Dante Exum heading into the 2024-25 season.
Last season for Dallas, Exum averaged 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 49.1 percent from three. Exum’s regular-season performance was exceptional, and he emerged as one of the most dependable players off the bench.
Exum became into someone Jason Kidd could dependably rely on late in games, and his 3-point shooting, ball-handling poise, and defence rapidly made him a fan favourite.
Exum’s regular season made him one of the biggest X-factors into the postseason, but to everyone’s surprise, his production dropped dramatically in the playoffs.
Exum appeared to lack confidence, and Kidd couldn’t regularly count on him to produce off the bench. This led him to rely on Hardy for production, and he came alive in the Western Conference Finals.
Dallas’ backlog of guards off the bench is more than everyone realises, and there isn’t much of a way to ensure that Exum, Hardy, and Dinwiddie all play meaningful roles. One of these players will be the odd man out, and Mavs supporters believe it will be Exum.
The fans could be absolutely wrong about Exum, and he could play a significant role early on, but either Hardy, Exum, or Dinwiddie will play a lower role than everyone expects. All of Dallas’ players are good enough to play actual minutes, but there aren’t enough minutes for everyone.
Exum will have every opportunity to prove everyone wrong, and his return to the player he was just one season ago would be significant for Dallas.
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