After losing back-to-back games in demoralizing fashion against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks are looking for a spark on Wednesday night when they take on the Toronto Raptors.
Perhaps that boost can come from 3-and-D guard/wing Dante Exum, who is listed as "probable" on the latest injury report and is expected to make his long-awaited return to action tonight after missing 13 consecutive games due to right knee bursitis.
Through 32 games played this season, Exum is averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 57.1 percent overall and 47.7 percent from deep while also playing solid perimeter defense as well. The seventh-year veteran has been a feel-good success story this season, as he spent the previous two years working on his game overseas before returning to the NBA.
Exum was especially productive for the Mavs in December, as he started all 14 games he played in and averaged 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting an eye-popping 60.8 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from deep.
With Exum returning, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd will now have another option at his disposal when it comes to mixing and matching different lineups. Plugging Exum into lineups where Tim Hardaway Jr. would normally be might be the move that gets the Mavs back on track. We'll see how much rust Exum has to knock off in Toronto on Wednesday.
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