Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum has stepped up in recent weeks, filling in for injured teammates Kyrie Irving and Josh Green. In his starts, Exum has averaged 17.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.0 rebounds, leading the Mavericks to a 4-0 record.

Head coach Jason Kidd has been impressed with Exum's performance, saying, "He's a basketball player — playing his role and being a star in his role, it's a pretty cool thing because he's not a max player. But he's playing like a max player."

Exum credits his recent success to his confidence in his shot, saying, "I think how Luka plays, and he can find anyone at any point. Knowing guys are going to help off to double him, and I have to be ready. I try to put myself in a situation where I can be on the floor. I don't want to be the guy that is taken out because I can't hit that shot."

Kidd is happy to have Exum on the team, saying, "I'm just glad he's arrived here in Dallas, and he's on our side. But I think the fun, the smile, again, in life, we go through different things. Having a baby, you can see that he's just having fun out there. And I think when you have fun in life, good things happen, and then he's one of those guys. And I think [Luka Doncic] is having fun too, and you can see what he's doing."

With Irving's status uncertain, Exum is likely to continue to play a key role for the Mavericks. When the team is healthy, Exum's role will be something to monitor, but for now, he is proving that he can be a valuable contributor to the team's success.