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Is Dante Exum Worth The Risk?

I know the immediate choice would be drafting the best player available rather than position, but is Dante Exum a consideration? I mean, we obviously could use a point guard for the future as Jameer Nelson ages, and Jacque Vaughn continues to play Victor Oladipo at shooting guard. Is the Australian NBA prospect worth it?

Well, Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling reports this...

"A big reason why the NBA piques Exum's interest is because it's a point guard-friendly league. His dream teams are the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers, as he's friends with Victor Oladipo—they met at Indiana during Exum's recruiting visit"...

Let's remember, Dante Exum wouldn't be a "bad" choice for Orlando. He's a big 6'6" point guard with a improving shot, extremely fast on drives and fast breaks, and a dash of athleticism as well. One reason to pick Exum over Marcus Smart is that he's more of a point guard than Smart. From what I hear, he's more unselfish and makes more effective plays. He's nowhere near as strong as Smart, and isn't as athletic as him either. However, when you even things out, Exum tops Smart slightly, because of his talent.

Let's also consider the roster we can have with Exum. If we were to draft Wiggins or Parker, they'd be our starting small forward. And if we haven't traded Glen Davis by next season, it could log jam the small forward spot. Moe Harkless would be in the bottom of the "basement roster". If we took a point guard, that would open up the small forward position if we slide Tobias Harris to the 4 and Arron Afflalo to the 3. Of course, I'm just guessing around, but imagine a starting lineup of Exum/Oladipo/Afflalo/Harris/Vucevic. Strong lineup right there.

Lastly, let's remember that Dante Exum is a risk. If he comes into the 2014 NBA Draft, which he most likely will as sources say, that would mean he would have no college experience. Also, he's a little unknown. Besides a couple of mix tapes on YouTube, no one can actually predict how good he'll be in the NBA since he basically has no competition in Australia.

Overall, there's pros and con's into drafting Dante Exum. He wants to come to Orlando, and fits perfectly, but he is a risk that could potentially be a bust. What's your thoughts on Orlando drafting Exum? My thoughts are if we have the first overall pick, then no Exum. But if we have the second or third, maybe a strong consideration can go down.

This FanPost was made by a member of the Orlando Pinstriped Post community, and is to be treated as the opinions and views of its author, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.

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