Brooklyn - Dante Exum has experienced it all since arriving as a teenager in Salt Lake City.
From overcoming two major injuries that caused him to miss almost two full seasons, to getting back last year and showing glimpses of why the Utah Jazz drafted him 5th overall in 2014 with some inspired defense on league MVP James Harden in the playoffs, leading to a three-year, $33 million contract extension this past summer.
Now, finally healthy and with a full preseason under his belt, Exum is playing some of his best basketball since joining the NBA.
"It's important for me just to stay healthy," Exum tells ESPN. "I'm doing everything I can in the weight room just to make sure I'm prepared as much as possible when I get to the court. I'm feeling really good, that's the main thing. When I'm out on the court I'm just trying to get in a comfort zone where I feel like my game is best."
Through his first 21 games this season he's averaging seven points and two assists per game, they're not numbers that strike out at you, but for Exum, it's a sign that finally, after four seasons, he's reaching a comfort level that he hasn't had since entering the league.
Quinn Snyder has been Utah's coach since 2014 and knows better than most the adversity that Exum has face just to get back playing at this level. Snyder says on-court comfort level is a reflection of the hard work put in by Exum away from the court.
"The biggest thing when you're healthy, there's certain experiences you have to play in order to have," Snyder said prior to the Jazz' game in Brooklyn on Wednesday. "For a young player there's things that you work on and work on and work on, and in Dante's case, some of that's been rehab and now he's on the court, and he's getting to apply the things he's been doing in practice - whether it be individually or with the team."
For the past few seasons Utah have been the team seemingly one step away. Oftentimes it's been injuries to key guys that's derailed their hopes of going deep into the playoffs, but last season's second-round loss made a lot of people believe that the team was primed to take the extra step in 2018-19.
It hasn't been the case so far.
The Jazz were second-last in the West entering the game against the Nets, but, given the highly-competitive nature of the conference, sit just 1.5 games out of the last playoff spot. Exum says it's no time to panic, and that the team's road heavy schedule (they've played just eight games at home) has factored into the uneven start.
"We've had a lot of road games and haven't been home much," he said. "That affects a lot of it, but I think we've adjusted well and how we handle ourselves off-court being on the road and then coming back home."
"This is the NBA. You're playing good teams every night. The strength of schedule, for everyone - everyone's playing NBA teams; we just need to lock in and win. That's the biggest thing."
Prior to the game Exum learned that teammate Alec Burks had been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyle Korver. Exum said it was a "tough thing" seeing guys leave, but he was optimistic there was something he could learn from a one-time All-Star in Korver.
"He's a great shooter, and hopefully I can learn a few things in being able to shoot. I think I've got the form and everything I just need to see what he does," Exum exclaimed.
