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Trey Burke and Dante Exum.
Dante Exum and Trey Burke.
The upcoming Las Vegas summer league will be important for both, individually.
For Burke, coming off an all-rookie season at point guard, and heading into his second year on the job, showcasing progress is important. He wants to show that his game has taken a leap, and that he's ready to take a significant jump in production heading into next season. For example, people like Detroit's Kentavius Caldwell-Pope and Victor Oladipo are prominent second year guys who are tearing up the Orlando Summer League. Burke wants to show the same kind of progress. And if he does, chances are he won't play the entire week in Vegas.
Exum wants to show that he belongs, that he can adjust to the speed and much-increased athleticism of professional basketball. As the No. 5 pick of the NBA Draft, there's considerable pressure on Exum to perform well, to show the skill set that made teams drool over him in the first place. Remember this: A large contingent of Jazz fans have yet to see him play a real basketball game. Best believe, there will be plenty of hype over his professional hoops debut.
Together, Burke and Exum will play a lot at the same time. They will want to show head coach Quin Snyder and the Jazz front office that playing together will be good for the organization. That their skills complement one another and that they can defend together as a backcourt. The big question heading into summer league is whether these two can co-exist.
This is something for Jazz fans to watch and analyze. Much of that will begin on Saturday when Utah takes on Philadelphia in the opener.
Tony Jones