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One of the things the Jazz like so much about Dante Exum is his ability to defend both guard positions. It's the skill that got him on the floor as a rookie, and one of the reasons he'll be in Wednesday's starting lineup in place of Rodney Hood. That actually sets up an intriguing matchup between Exum and Devin Booker, who is one of the best shooters in the league and one of the best young shooting guards in the league at 19.
For Exum, it's another challenge on his way back from the ACL tear that cost him last season. He's going to have to chase Booker through screens, guard him off the dribble, negotiate his way through picks. Jazz coaches want to see how he handles himself defensively, and what strides he's made offensively from Monday night, when he scored six points in his preseason debut against Portland.
"He's going to have to chase Devin around," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "Devin's a really good player, and I think it's a good opportunity for Dante. I think Dante is a good defender. Booker is going to try to score, and try to be aggressive shooting the ball. So Dante's going to have to be really solid."
Exum said he watched the tape of Monday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, and concluded that he did some good things, but made some mistakes also.
"Just decision-making," Exum said. "There were times when I had the shot and I passed the ball."
Suns missing veteran duo
The Suns will be missing veteran forward Jared Dudley and vet center Tyson Chandler in Wednesday's game. In their place, Phoenix will start rookie forward Marquese Chriss and fourth=year big man Alex Len. The Suns are stacked with young and athletic big men, something Snyder said will be a challenge to deal with.
"Chandler is a tremendous player and leader, and he's the kind of guy you want on a team with those young guys to just help them continue to learn and get better," Snyder said.