2014 NBA Draft: Is Dante Exum the next Kobe Bryant? One general manager thinks so

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on June 24, 2014 at 1:08 PM

As the 2014 NBA Draft draws closer, it is looking more and more like the Sixers will be left without the option of taking either Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins or Duke forward Jabari Parker.

If one comparison holds true, however, they might end up being just fine without them.

Speaking on the B.S. Report podcast, ESPN's Chad Ford said point guard Dante Exum of Australia is drawing rave reviews around the league, with some going as far as to compare him to one of the best shooting guards of all-time.

“He is the closest he has seen to a young Kobe Bryant," Ford said of what an NBA general manager told him. "Forget about the point guard thing. That is who Exum reminds him of. If that is the case, we should be excited. I have a feeling had he gone to college, we would be talking about him right there — if not ahead of — Wiggins and Parker.”

Exum, who is projected to go somewhere in the top-5, does have a very similar build to Bryant, who was drafted 13th overall in the 1996 draft. Exum stands 6-foot-6, 196 pounds heading into Thursday night's draft, with Bryant measuring in at 6-foot-6, 192 pounds when he first entered the NBA.

One of the reasons Exum is being compared to Bryant, according to Ford, is the competitiveness he shows at such a young age. Exum is just 18 years old heading into the draft, just one year older than Bryant was when he was drafted.

"The teams that got to interview him and do the (psychological) testing on them said that he tested off the charts," Ford said. "When you add that to an NBA style frame, those guys tend to not fail in the NBA."

Similarly, a 1996 scouting report of Bryant mentions his competitive drive.

Kobe's number one stregth is his maturity. He is a lot more mature than a lot of the college players and some NBA players as well. This is a huge asset because he isn't going into this without thinking like some people might think. Extremely intelligent player and student. Sees the floor very well because of his height and is an excellent finisher. Knows the game of basketball and what needs to be done to win (won the state championships without his point guard and top outside shooter). Is a true leader who often dominated games with triple teams most of the time. Can hit from three with accuracy (good %). Fierce competitor with a lot of determination. Played all 5 positions in high school so he can also work down low. Has perfected the turn around fall-away jumper (Jordan's tradmark) A lot of people think he doesn't like to lift to bulk up but he'll do whatever it takes to make it in the league.

As for his weaknesses, Bryan was believed to "not have a true position" coming out of high-school -- a problem some scouts see in Exum has as well.

Although hoping he is the next Bryant is probably unrealistic for the Sixers, it is telling that scouts see him as able to play the shooting guard position. It is widely believed that the Sixers would trade their current point guard, Michael Carter-Williams, if they took Exum with the No. 3 overall pick.

An outcome that might not be the case if the Sixers feel the same way about Exum as the above general manager does.

Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks