Earlier on Tuesday, Jazz point guard Dante Exum suffered a left-knee injury playing for the Australian national team in an exhibition game in Slovenia. A few hours later, a report indicated that the Jazz were concerned that Exum had suffered a torn ACL. Unfortunately, Utah radio host Tim Montemeyer appears to have confirmed the worst:
I am told Dante Exum was diagnosed with a torn ACL in the arena in Slovenia and the #Jazz will confirm that diagnosis ASAP
— YouTube: The Monty Show (@TheMontyShow) August 4, 2015
This sucks, plain and simple. A second-half surge last season led to the Jazz already making noise as a sexy playoff sleeper pick in the Western Conference, and a leap from Exum, the fifth pick in the 2014 draft, would have been expected to be a big part of that. Now, he’s very likely out the entire season and the Jazz will be left without what they had hoped was one of their foundational players.
