The Utah Jazz have confirmed the diagnosis we'd been fearing since point guard Dante Exum left an exhibition game for the Australian national team with a non-contact injury to his left knee. Exum has a torn ACL, an injury that likely will end his 2015-16 season before it could even begin.
Obviously, a serious injury is a setback for Exum, who turned 20 just last month. But its impact on Utah's chances of returning to the playoffs after a three-year absence is less clear. Even without the 2014 top-five pick, the Jazz may still be able to build on the momentum they found in the second half of last season.
Projecting the 2015-16 Jazz
With a healthy Exum, Utah stood an excellent chance of cracking the top eight in the Western Conference. The Jazz went 19-10 after the All-Star break, the NBA's sixth-best record, and their point differential (plus-5.0 points per game) ranked fifth in the league.