12-17-2023, 09:04 AM
(12-16-2023, 11:59 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: OMax has a very key 5 minute stretch in the early 4th quarter (4 boards and an assist). It was all the more important because to that point Grant hadn't done a thing.
The group on the floor to start the fourth (and give Luka a much needed rest) was Exum, Curry, THJ, OMax and Powell. They held their own (+2) and gave Luka almost 5 minutes off. If you go back and look at the same period in the first half, the Exum/Curry backcourt (this time with Morris, GWill and THJ) were the ones responsible for turning the game around with a +13 (with an 18-3 run). They also played together (with Luka, Powell and THJ) for a couple of minutes in the first quarter and were +2.
The common denominators in all three of those stints were Exum, Seth and THJ. You wouldn't think that to be a net positive lineup with so little defense on the floor, but it worked.
Exum has now started six games and Dallas is 5-1 (LAL was really the only quality win, but we probably lose that one and some of those other games last season). As a starter, Exum is 17/4.3/5.0 in 30 minutes. His TS% is .743 and he is hitting .560 from 3 (take out the 7 of 9 in that LA game and he's still 7/16 or .437 in the other games). Exum is productive in his non-starts, but his shooting is not good. The confidence of starting (or maybe it is just being relied upon) looks good on him.