LAST season, the Utah Jazz set a simple challenge for Danté Exum.

“To be competitive,” the Australian told foxsports.com.au.

It sounds mundane and almost a platitude, but it’s not something Exum necessarily had perfected to start his career. The nature of coming into the NBA as an inexperienced 19-year-old lends itself to needing growth, and we’ve already seen Exum significantly progress in multiple areas, from the little things, like the way he speaks, to the way he’s responded to injuries and obstacles.

After the 2018 Playoffs, where Exum showed more glimpses of his immense potential, the point guard went straight to work, basing himself in Orange County, before heading up to Los Angeles to take part in the UCLA runs. The scrimmages at UCLA, famed for the talent it attracts — Exum has run with the likes of Kevin Durant and Paul George — has been a significant part of the 23-year-old’s off-season, and it’s where he’s able to keep those competitive juices flowing.

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“I always say it, I went to those UCLA runs, and obviously I was trying to get better every day — and it didn’t matter if you lost at the end of the day — but, at the end of it, if someone’s calling a foul that wasn’t a foul, I was calling back at them,” Exum said.

“I was just building that competitive drive, and that’s important in an 82-game season. Some players can lose sight of a win or a loss. But, I think, to have that competitiveness and want to win every night, that’s something I’ve built.”

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Exum’s rise has been gradual, but demonstrable.

Defensively, he graduated to guarding James Harden during the postseason, and did it as effectively as anyone in the league has. On the offensive end, Exum’s confidence on the ball is increasing, with the Jazz rewarding his play, this off-season, with a three-year extension.

Not since Exum’s rookie year has he played an entire regular season, and, with the weight of a new contract off his shoulders, along with a full off-season under his belt, he’s entering the 2018-19 campaign with that, and more, in mind.

“I wanna play 82,” Exum said.

“I played 82 in my first season. That’s 100 percent my No. 1 goal. I think, just being given that opportunity to play 82, I’m going to earn my minutes, earn my time, and be in one of those critical roles where I can have a major impact.

“Not just an impact; a major impact on a team. I want to be that guy on at the end of the game, and even taking the last shot. I think that’s a goal I’ve definitely set for myself, and expect myself to make.

“Obviously I can’t control some injuries and stuff, but I’m doing everything I can now to make sure I stay on the court and stay healthy.”

“I wanna play 82.” Source: AFP

One of the biggest criticisms of Exum’s game has been his jump-shot, which has shown promise as he’s progressed through his young career.

The Melbourne-native shoots just over 30 percent from beyond the arc, for his career, while his free throw percentage is something that’s increased every season since he was drafted in 2014. That jump-shot is something Exum says he’s working on ‘every day’, and pointed out the moment when he knows he’ll truly be comfortable with it.

“The biggest thing is the shooting consistency,” Exum said.

“I think one thing, for me, is I’ve got the form down. It’s just about getting those reps, that consistency with the shot, and being comfortable with it, and confident. I’ve always said to myself, ‘the day I go 0-for-10 from three will be the day I’m comfortable’, because then I know I’m comfortable with my shot, and know that, even if I miss some, I’m gonna make the next one.

“Just having that mindset, for me, is going to be super important. Just trying to mind my shot; that was the biggest thing. It was always that I’d get too excited once I got that three, because I hadn’t got a shot, or I’d just got in. It’s just getting that comfort level that, once I’ve got that three, I’ve been there many times and I know I can make it.”

”The day I go 0-for-10 from three will be the day I’m comfortable.” Source: Getty Images

Exum’s steady improvement allowed him to slot in seamlessly into the Jazz’s rotation, once he was healthy toward the end of the 2017-18 regular season. His impressive play carried over to the postseason, where he was able to earn relatively consistent minutes; throwing down a memorable, cathartic dunk in a win over the Houston Rockets, in the second round.

“To play a role and get minutes, with a team, and to be put right into that and still keep up with the team and what we were doing, was really good for me,” Exum said. “Just being able to easily adjust to how we were playing, and the play style, was good for me to show.”

Entering the new season, Exum has the opportunity to grow once more. The expectation is that he’ll be one of the more prominent guards for the Jazz, and his ability to play and defend one through three will only bode well for his minutes.

Looking ahead, Jazz fans can already see the potential of what an Exum-Donovan Mitchell back-court could become. Both guards are young and athletic, with the potential to eventually be a cornerstone of the franchise.

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“We didn’t get to do it too much during the season,” Exum said of his partnership with Mitchell.

“Obviously he’s a great player, and I’m confident in myself, that I’m gonna get there. Last Summer League, we played off each other so well. We have that relationship where we want each other to succeed. It’s something we can definitely build.”

For Exum, though, it begins with continuing his growth, and learning from the obstacles he’s been forced to overcome.

“I think I have this extra level of work ethic from being injured, and seeing guys out on the floor playing every night; it kind of builds that hunger,” Exum said.

“For me, it’s never been about the fame. I just want to play.”

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Olgun Uluc covers basketball for Fox Sports Australia. Twitter: @OlgunUluc