#GoodinGreen: Part 1

via craveonline.com

"With the fifth pick in the 2014 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics select.....DANTE EXUM!!!!"

I'm going to start off by saying that any doubters of Dante Exum have the same criticism of him and it truly isn't a valid point. That criticism is that the competition of play that he is up against in Australia, where he plays, is no match for the NCAA and NBA. While this is true, you can't downgrade Exum for being amazing in Australia, when he would be just as good playing in America. Just look what he did to the best NCAA players in his class in the Nike Hoops Summit: 

This 18 year old man led a team with Sergey Karasov, Andrew Wiggins, and Dennis Schroder to a dominating victory over Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, Noah Vonleh, Andrew Harrison, and Julius Randle. Exum ended the game with 16 points on 6-8 field goal shooting. This man was an explosive rim attacker, relentless defender, and smart play maker. 

The 6'6 combo guard is still improving and could easily fit on any team in the NBA, but he hasn't quite decided yet whether or not he will be going to college or the NBA next year. With that said, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Exum recently met with "eight powerhouse player representation agencies and left them a strong impression that he plans to enter the June NBA draft."

If Exum decides to declare for the NBA and the Celtics drafted him with an early pick, many fans would be skeptical. But Exum is a prime prospect that would fit into the Celtics rotation beautifully with Avery Bradley likely not being on the roster next year one way or another. 

Who would you rather have if you're the Celtics? With the fifth pick in the draft, let's say that Embiid, Parker, Randle, and Wiggins are off the board, who do you take over Exum. Nobody. Not Marcus Smart, Aaron Gordon, Noah Vonleh. Nobody. 

Chad Ford, ESPN's NBA Draft expert has Exum exactly where I do: #5 on the big board right after the Mount Rushmore of Embiid, Parker, Randle, and Wiggins in that order. 

If the Celtics don't turn it around this season and they end up with a high lottery pick like it looks like now, Dante Exum would be a splendid choice by Danny Ainge and the talent scouts of the Boston Celtics organization because of Exum's raw talent/athleticism and massive potential. 

Dante Exum would look #GoodinGreen

UPDATE: EXUM HAS DECLARED FOR THE 2014 NBA DRAFT