With the NBA offseason in full effect, basketball fans have shifted their focus to this year’s Summer Olympic games which feature some of the biggest stars in the league. More notably for Dallas Mavericks fans, Dwight Powell is playing for Team Canada while Dante Exum plays a vital role off the bench for the Australian national team.

As group play enters the final games for each country, Canada and Australia were set to face off in their Tuesday night game.

With Canada needing a win to advance into the elimination rounds, they would defeat the Boomers 93-83 with both Dallas players having big games. Powell would finish Tuesday night’s game with seven points and nine rebounds while Exum would see the floor for the first time in a few weeks after dislocating his finger before the Olympics.

Exum shows why Kidd should trust him more through strong Olympic play

Exum wouldn’t just give the Aussies a huge jolt off the bench but he finished with an efficient 15 points and excited Mavs fans for this upcoming season. Exum would shoot an impressive 6-9 from the field which is a complete 180 from what fans witnessed just two months prior in the NBA Playoffs.

Exum dazzled getting around top-tier Canadian defenders and scoring in the mid-range while also getting to the bucket for contested layups at the rim. Exum also became a knockdown shooter around the perimeter off of Josh Giddey passes.

Entering the playoffs, Exum played a huge role for the Mavericks off the bench being an efficient wing who could not just knock down the three ball at an elite rate but could offer tertiary ball handling when needed. As the playoffs got more intense, Exum disappeared when the lights were brightest and lost his role after a few bad showings against the LA Clippers.

Exum lost his role as one of the marquee names off the bench in Dallas, but he also seemingly lost all trust from Jason Kidd and the coaching staff as he saw very little time on the floor despite playing solid in the Conference Finals.

As Exum prepares for next season, playing great for his national team during the Olympics could be the start of a make-or-break season in Exum’s professional career, and dropping 15 points in his first showing could just be the beginning.

If Exum can play like he did during against Canada for the Mavs, then he will have the chance to quickly earn Kidd’s trust back. Kidd always harped about Exum and how important he was to the team, but this year’s battle for minutes off the bench won’t be as easy.

With Spencer Dinwiddie coming back and Jaden Hardy returning, Exum is going to have to consistently play effective minutes in order for Kidd to give him a significant role.

With the Mavericks revamping their roster this offseason, Exum’s name could once again rise up Jason Kidd’s depth chart as a potential rotational piece off the bench.

For more updates on Dante Exum and the Dallas Mavericks offseason, stay plugged in as we will have you covered.