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Danté Exum says his surgically repaired knee is not bothering him at all. What is, however, is the Utah Jazz point guard's urge to take a knee and rest.
"I need to learn how to play when I'm tired," Exum said this week. "That's the biggest thing."
Head coach Quin Snyder has noticed it, too.
"It's just not his habit yet to play every possession, and that's part of his youth and the fact that he hasn't played in a while," Snyder said. "… When you're trying to make an impact and every possession counts, it becomes even more important to have that concentration or that discipline until it becomes a habit."
On Monday night, it looked like Exum had caught his breath.
The youngster scored 15 points and dished out six assists in the Jazz's 104-78 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. And on a night when no other Jazzman logged more than 26 minutes, Exum played a team-high 32.
"I thought he played well," Snyder said after the game, praising his point guard before adding his criticism. "I think there are times when he's off the ball where he can drift, like a lot of people."
Exum, 21, and coming off a season lost due to an ACL injury, has endured some expected ups and downs during training camp. But when he has shined, the Aussie has been particularly bright.
His defense helped give the Jazz a win last week in Los Angeles, as he stripped Clippers guard Jamal Crawford in the game's final seconds. Exum's offense, meanwhile, has been much-improved from his rookie season. He has shown off his quick first step and willingness to attack the basket, where he has created buckets for himself and teammates.
"I think the biggest thing is putting everything together," Exum said. "Having that lockdown defense and having that offensive game as well."
But Snyder is also a stickler for the details: getting open on cuts, getting into the right position, fighting over defenders to get to the corner.
"It's those little things when you're tired that you don't do and the other team can put you out of a play," Exum said. "It's just getting over that hurdle and saying I'm not tired and keep pushing."
Only center Rudy Gobert has played more minutes than Exum through five preseason games, due in part to the myriad injuries the Jazz have suffered.
"We haven't really had the option of getting him out [of games] right now," Snyder said.
But to his credit, even when Exum has been given time to rest, he says he has been anxious to return. On Monday night, Snyder took Exum out of the game and chided him for a mistake he had made.
"Of course I'm mad about being taken out," Exum said afterward when prompted by a reporter's question, "but I realize why he's doing it. I've got to kind of get in the mindset of, 'How do I not get taken out?' "
He did that when he checked back in Monday night, playing all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter at point guard and flourishing for 10 points and five assists in the period.
"The knee is feeling fine," Exum said. "It's just about getting comfortable playing those type of minutes."
Twitter: @aaronfalk —
Trail Blazers at Jazz
P At Vivint Smart Home Arena
Tipoff • Wednesday, 7 p.m.
TV • None
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