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The Utah Jazz received the news they did not want to hear tonight.
Dante Exum suffered a torn ACL today playing for the Australian National Team, and he will miss the entire 2015-2016 NBA season.
Following from Tim Montemayor of 1320 KFan in Utah.
I am told Dante Exum was diagnosed with a torn ACL in the arena in Slovenia and the #Jazz will confirm that diagnosis ASAP
— Tim Montemayor (@TheMontyShow) August 4, 2015
The injury is a huge loss to a young Utah Jazz team that hoped to make a splash in the already tough Western Conference, and this will make the season an uphill battle.
Exum showed flashes of what his offensive game could be, but his strength came in his defensive play which his length helped cause issues for opposing guards.
Dante Exum averaged 4 points per game in his first season, and I expected a big jump in his offensive game next season as he would have one season under his belt and he would be a bit more aggressive.
The setback is disappointing for a Utah Jazz team that caught fire in the second half of last season under head coach Quin Snyder.
The Utah Jazz have their core intact with Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and rising star Rudy Gobert healthy going into next season but we will see how much of the load they can carry.
A player the Jazz may need to step up in Exum’s absence is Trey Burke which this injury could help develop Burke’s game even more.
Hopefully, the Utah Jazz can still progress next season a fan base that deserves a winner and obviously best wishes to Dante Exum that he can recover quickly and get back to doing what he loves.
