NBA star: Dante Exum’s biggest critic Bill Simmons changes tune after watching him during pre-season

DANTE Exum’s biggest critic has done a stunning about-face and is now predicting the Australian NBA star could be the next Kobe Bryant.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) steals the ball from Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) during the first quarter of a preseason NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

DANTE Exum’s biggest critic has done a stunning about-face and is now predicting the Australian NBA star could be the next Kobe Bryant.

ESPN analyst Bill Simmons and former NBA player Jalen Rose had been scathing in their assessment of Exum, who the Utah Jazz picked at No. 5 in this year’s draft, after LA Clippers point guard Chris Paul gave him a basketball lesson in a pre-season game.

Introducing a section in their video segment called ‘Bad News Bill’, Simmons had said he was “really worried about this Dante Exum thing. Really, really worried”.

“Bad News Bill is concerned that the guys drafted after Dante Exum are really good and I think the Utah fans are going to look around and they’re going to see Marcus Smart (Celtics), Julius Randle (Lakers), Elfrid Payton (Magic) and they’re going to think why did we take this 18-year-old kid who looks like a baby and should be in college right now.”

“I don’t know what to make of Dante Exum. One of the highest ceiling basement careers in a while.”

But after watching the teenager average 7.7 points and 3.3 assists per game during the first six games of the pre-season, despite receiving limited court time, Simmons quickly changed his tune.

“I’ve never done a faster 180, in my entire career, than the one I pulled off with Dante Exum,” Simmons said in a video preview of the Jazz’s season.

“Not only did Jalen and I crush the Exum pick in our preview, but when you and I worked on the first draft of this piece, here’s what I wrote: “For me, the Exum subplot is 100 times more fascinating than anything Philly is offering,” Simmons said.

“I nearly gave myself a concussion leaping on the hood of the Exum bandwagon as it started pulling away. Did you see him in the preseason? It looked like Kobe cloned the teenage version of himself and added an Australian accent. I’m all in. Easily my fastest flip-flop ever — and that’s saying something.”

Unfortunately Exum couldn’t back up the glowing praise by getting among the points in one of his last pre-season outings before the opening game of the NBA season.

Exum managed just one point, one rebound and one assist in more than 14 minutes of court time in his team’s 105-91 victory over Oklahoma City Thunder.

His lone point came with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, when he netted the first of two free throws before missing the second, and he also finished with two turnovers.

The Jazz’s win improved their pre-season record to five wins and two losses.

Centre Enes Kanter top scored with 27 points on 12-17 shooting, while Trey Burke provided ample support with 23 points.

Oklahoma City again battled in the absence of MVP-winning star Kevin Durant, with Perry Jones carrying the offence with 20 points, while Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka had 14 each.

But the news was worse for fellow Australian Andrew Bogut, who was ruled out of the Golden State Warriors’ pre-season game against the Los Angeles Clippers after falling ill.

Originally published as NBA star: Dante Exum’s biggest critic Bill Simmons changes tune after watching him during pre-season