CLEVELAND — Dante Exum missed his 12th consecutive game due to right knee bursitis when the Dallas Mavericks lost 133-111 against the Indiana Pacers. He has fully participated in multiple practices as he ramps up to return to competition but remains unlikely to do so on Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Mavs submitted an injury report listing Exum as doubtful to play, upgrading his status. Josh Green was added to the report with a right elbow sprain, but he, along with Luka Doncic (broken nose), Dereck Lively II (nasal fracture), and Maxi Kleber (nasal fracture), are probable to play against the Cavs.
Mavs coach Jason Kidd recently mentioned the plan is for Exum to return from injury potentially during the four-game road trip the team is currently on. There will be only two games left for Exum to meet that mark if he doesn't play against the Cavs, with a game against the Toronto Raptors on the second night of a back-to-back, followed by a matchup against the Boston Celtics.
Exum has averaged 9.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 32 games this season, producing the best of his NBA career. He's shooting 57.1 percent from the floor, 47.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 72.7 percent on free throws.
After returning from injury, Exum will come off the bench, but how the rotation will be impacted remains to be seen. The coaching staff will have options to deploy different styles of lineups, reducing the need to rely on specific options that may not be optimal for a particular matchup.
With the steady ball handling, passing, on-ball defense, dribble penetration, and overall spot-up ability that Exum presents, his skill set provides many intriguing options next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving or as a key bench unit talent.
For an in-depth look at Exum's impact, check out my breakdown of what he's provided the Mavs this season on my YouTube channel.
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