Dallas Mavs 1-on-1 Interview: Dante Exum on Improved Shooting, Defensive Strategies & More

Dallas Mavs guard Dante Exum spoke to DallasBasketball.com about the intriguing opportunity he has amid his NBA return with a team he sees as having strong potential.

DALLAS — After spending the last two years playing in Europe — with FC Barcelona in 2021-22; and Partizan Belgrade in 2022-23 — Dante Exum is looking forward to making his return to the NBA as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. 

"I think there's a definite opportunity for me to help the team," Exum told DallasBasketball.com. "We've talked a lot about playing faster, and that's something I want to do, whether it's going to get rebounds and pushing the ball. Just being a leader at the point guard spot when Kai or Luka don't have the ball. I think that's a spot in this team that I can fill."

Exum enters the season as a confident shooter and refined defender while still being the talented playmaker he's always been. He's put together an impressive preseason thus far, averaging 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. He's shooting 58.3 percent overall and 75.0 percent on 3s. 

Standing at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Exum presents a level of defensive versatility that is uncommon for a guard. It enables him not only to guard multiple positions at a high level but he's also become a threat as an off-ball defender capable of playing the passing lanes and doing things like rotating as the low man in the paint.

"I think just the way that we're trying to play our defense and get into the ball and kind of be the aggressor … it's going to open up a lot of times where guys get beat, and we just need to have to rely on that weak side help. And with these preseason games and obviously, [my defensive] play specifically, hopefully, guys can realize that I'm going to be there and trust it a bit more."

When Exum entered the NBA in 2014, there was a need for him to improve as a perimeter shooter. He left the league as a 30.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc when departing to play in Europe. Although the 3-point line is shorter in Europe, he's undoubtedly achieved significant improvement by shooting 45.0 percent on 189 attempts between his time with FC Barcelona and Partizan Belgrade.

Dante Exum played very well for the Australian national team in this year’s FIBA World Cup / FIBA

"Shooting is a tough thing," Exum said. "You see a lot of guys that go into dips and don't shoot the ball well, but it's kind of how you get out of that. Obviously, a lot of positive talk [has helped], and my thing is always, if I miss, I'm a 50 percent shooter. So if I miss the first one, I'm making the second one. And if I miss that one, I'm making the next two. So I think this is kind of that reinforcement and staying in the gym and being consistent with every shot is important."

Despite the improvement Exum has achieved in his perimeter shooting results, he expects the scouting report from the opposition to tell defenders to close short against him. He understands he must continue to convert catch-and-shoot attempts at a high clip with the opportunities he will receive playing alongside superstars like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. 

"I still expect [defenders] to closeout short on me," Exum said. "That's just me having a mindset that I still have a lot to prove in my shot. When it comes to scouting, I'm just going to be a capable shooter. I think knowing that and understanding how teams are going to play me, it's going to open up my shot. 

“But then playing with Luka, playing with Kyrie, they draw a lot of attention and they're willing passers. I've just got to be ready to knock the shot down."

No matter how many years a player has been playing, there is room to continue to add layers to their game. For Exum, he wants to grow his confidence and aggression as a pull-up shooting threat. He's admittedly still trying to find the right balance between attacking the rim and simply taking the jumper when attacking. Against Real Madrid, he had numerous plays where he had strong results between getting into short-range for a turnaround jumper and making the defense pay for a pull-up 3.

"That's the one thing that I have to improve my confidence on," Exum said. "I'm capable, but whether I want to shoot it, I think that's the problem I struggle with. I'm kind of in two minds whether I want to shoot it or drive it. So I think once I get to the point where it's like, they go under, I'm just going to shoot.

“A lot of guys on the team have talked to me. It happened in the Real Madrid game where I shot the first one. Then it happened two more times and I was kind of like, 'Ah, do I shoot it, or do I drive it?' Guys came up to say, 'Shoot it, shoot it, shoot it.' So, I think that's just me trying to make the right play."

A significant factor that negatively impacted Exum during his previous NBA stint with the Utah Jazz was a slew of injuries. He admitted it was a time of his career he wasn't sure how he managed to get through, but now, he takes pride in maximizing his availability and wants to play all 82 of the Mavs' regular season games, if possible. 

"It was definitely a difficult time," Exum said. "I don't know how I got through it if I'm being honest. I always look at that wanting to get on the court, and that's kind of what keeps me going. I always want to stay on the court. I always want to play. I want to play 82 games. I think at this point, it's just about doing everything right to stay healthy and make sure I can be on the court."

For the Mavs to maximize their success this season, Exum believes defensive rebounding will be the primary X-factor to keep an eye on. The team has made it a strong emphasis for their training camp process, but entering the season, the focus must sustain in order to close out possessions often enough. 

"It's going to definitely be rebounding. We have an opportunity where we can go get offensive rebounds, but the defensive rebound is where we're going to have to make sure we're securing those possessions to limit their possessions," Exum said. "I think we're going to give the best effort on defense, so we need to reward ourselves by getting that rebound."

Whether it was on offense or defense, the Mavs struggled to get the job done in the rebounding department, ranking 30th in total rebounding percentage. However, the team also ranked just 25th in defensive rating, too. While Exum wasn't in Dallas last season to make a comparison to the 2022-23 squad, he likes what he's sees from the current group. He described this team as one that cares about doing the dirty work and making the proper rotations on defense. As long as that continues, he sees big success in the team's future. 

"I wasn't here to kind of make the comparison from last year, but I think we have a group that cares," Exum said. "I don't know how it was last year, but we have guys that care about defense, making the right play and the right rotations. It's a huge impact. For us going forward, it's just about making sure that stays a priority for us. We have the offensive tools to be successful."

A significant part of the Mavs' success will be determined by the development of rookie Dereck Lively II. For a team that needs to make that improvement on defense and rebounding, adding an athletic 7-footer with a 7-foot-7 wingspan naturally can provide a boost in ways the team lacked last season. Exum is intrigued by the potential he's seen from Lively so far, calling him a willing learner. 

"He's good. He's a willing learner. He wants to be great," Exum said of Lively. "Wants to keep learning every day. That's all you can ask for."

Exum already feels he's establishing a connection with Lively, both as pick-and-roll partners and as a defensive tandem. After the Real Madrid game, Exum spoke to Lively for a while to gain further familiarity on how they can better connect for lobs and 

"We've been starting to develop a good relationship, and I think it's important between a point guard and a big to develop that," Exum said of Lively. "A lot of the ball screens on defense between me and him and on offense as well. I talked to him a lot after the Madrid game, just kind of learning each other and learning how he likes the lob, and I haven't played with guys recently where I could throw that lob. It's just kind of learning him, learning that guys are going to go under, so set the low screen and roll to the basket."

Exum will look to continue to his strong play when the Mavs take on the Detroit Pistons on Friday in the team's preseason finale. With Luka Doncic already being ruled out, along with injuries to Jaden Hardy, and Josh Green, there could be no shortage of opportunity for Exum.