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SALT LAKE CITY — In perhaps the most heavily anticipated individual matchup in the Utah Jazz Summer League, the two most highly touted guards in the tournament didn’t disappoint.
Utah’s Dante Exum and Boston’s Marcus Smart were the first two point guard prospects selected in the 2014 NBA Draft. Exum went fifth to the Jazz, and Smart was taken one pick later to the Celtics.
Their connection goes back even further, though, all the way to their time butting heads in FIBA’s under-19 competition before either had an NBA city to call home. And as the main attraction of Monday’s tilt at EnergySolutions Arena between the Jazz and Celtics, an eventual 100-82 Jazz win, this was perhaps their most engaging battle yet.
Smart had typically gotten the better of the young Aussie in their previous head-to-head matchups. His strong physique and bullying style of play overpowered Exum, always a bit more thin and wiry in comparison. Smart was aided by an age advantage of over a year, and his generally stronger play continued into their first NBA season.
Exum was on a mission to change that Monday night. Though nothing to do with Smart directly, Exum’s offseason to this point included an obvious emphasis on bulking up. He returned to Salt Lake City with visible muscle additions and a more stable frame, this coming off a year where he was often bullied by bulkier players of Smart’s ilk.
His time in the weight room proved beneficial nearly right away. Exum fought through a slow start caused in part by more of Smart’s usual high-pressure defense, but began thoroughly outplaying his counterpart for perhaps the first time in their rivalry once he found his legs.
Even Smart’s aggressive and attentive on-ball defense was no match in several instances, with Exum using his lightning-quick first step and gazelle-like strides to create separation and find his way to the hoop. He finished the night with 20 points on just 11 field-goal attempts, while adding five rebounds and five assists.
Even more encouragingly, Exum finished went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, nearly a full third of the cumulative attempts he tallied in 82 games last season. It's a clear sign that his aggression was in peak form.
The renewed confidence that came with it had a trickle-down effect on the rest of Exum’s game. He looked to be in control of the floor, moving more freely than at any point last season. Rather than getting caught up in thinking about and following the game plan every step of the way, he allowed the game to come to him, picking his spots and creating openings on his own.
“His development is coming along really well,” Smart said following the game. “He looks more comfortable out there with the ball, and in their system."
Smart made his mark on a game where he, Exum and Rodney Hood were clearly the three best players on the court. Smart scored 26 points, on 6 of 20 shooting, including 2 of 10 from the 3-point line. He went 12 of 13 from the free-throw line, posted eight dimes, five rebounds and played his usual stalwart defense, though he was somewhat bottled up on the offensive end when Exum guarded him.
Smart admitted their previous experience against each other played a factor in the intensity Monday night.
“You try to (push each other), especially when you're the first two (point guards) off the board,” he said, referencing the 2014 Draft. “You try to go out there and play hard.”
It was just one game, and the euphoria at Exum’s progress in recent months might be short-lived. He went down in considerable pain in the fourth quarter and was later diagnosed with a left ankle sprain. It’s hopefully not too serious, but given the nature of summer league competition and his importance to the franchise long term, it’s possible we don’t see Exum again for the remainder of the tournament.
But what was available was quite encouraging, and was made all the more so by Exum’s level of competition. Jazz fans got a taste of what the next several years could be like on Monday evening, and they had to like what they saw.
