The biggest thing is not how he’s practicing, we just wanted to watch him and see physically if he was competing, so no one was really evaluating his play as much as we were the physical side of it, getting through screens and doing all those things. He did a good job. – Jazz coach Quin Snyder
SALT LAKE CITY — Dante Exum didn’t need to participate in any pregame workouts with Utah Jazz assistant coach Lamar Skeeter ahead of the Detroit Pistons game Tuesday.
The injured guard put in his on-court work earlier in the afternoon during a closed practice with the G League’s Salt Lake City Stars.
Exum is expected to make his regular season debut at some point this week while recovering from a left shoulder surgery, but was briefly assigned to the Stars for a few hours in the last stage of his rehab.
He was ruled inactive against the Pistons, though.
“I didn’t see a lot of the practice. He looked good,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder. “The biggest thing is not how he’s practicing, we just wanted to watch him and see physically if he was competing, so no one was really evaluating his play as much as we were the physical side of it, getting through screens and doing all those things. He did a good job.
.@utahjazz guard @daanteee spent the day practicing with the Stars as he continues to rehab. Look forward to seeing him back out there! #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/4ONyyAcnOJ
— Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) March 14, 2018
Jazz two-way player Erik McCree was also in attendance for the practice. Exum hasn’t played in an organized game since Oct. 6 against Phoenix in the preseason, then underwent surgery to stabilize his AC joint on Oct. 24, but McCree said the Aussie didn’t show any signs of regression.
“He looked good. For him to be out for that many months, he looked like he was fine,” McCree told the Deseret News. “He looked like he was ready to play. He looked pretty good.”
Exum is a 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard with versatility on the defensive end. Last season, he averaged a career-best 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 66 games but continues to show promise to return
“Being out for that long of course you’re going to be a little rusty, but for the most part, his conditioning looked good,” McCree said. “So, if he just keeps getting reps and trying to get back in tip-top shape he’ll be good.”
SAFETY FIRST: Jazz rookie Tony Bradley has been placed on the NBA’s concussion protocol after being diagnosed with a concussion. No further updates were provided on the injury by the Jazz, but the center has split time between the Jazz and the Salt Lake City Stars in his first season out of North Carolina.
DREAM COME TRUE: A dream was fulfilled for Elizabeth — a 13-year-old Wisconsin native visiting Salt Lake City. The Utah Jazz granted her wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation to let her meet the team and Jazz Bear in person. The diehard Jazz fan has been diagnosed with a nervous system disorder and also got to meet Jazz forward Jonas Jerebko before the tipoff. She was all smiles with her family in Vivint Arena.