4 Mavericks whose stocks are rising, 4 that are falling before Thunder series

5. Falling: Dante Exum

All season long, Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum was huge for the team and was a massive X-factor heading into the playoffs. Exum proved he can be elite as a starter, off the bench, and in the clutch for this team all season long, but his performance in the playoffs came crashing down.

In the first-round series against the LA Clippers, Exum averaged 1.5 points per game while shooting 22.2 percent from the field and 0 percent from downtown. All of the confidence that Exum built throughout the long regular season disappeared, and he nearly became unplayable in the Clippers series.

He began the playoffs by playing 16 minutes in Game 1, but he didn't play more than 12 minutes in any game after that. Exum played just 19 minutes in the final three games of the series combined, and he has to be better in their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Exum's ability to guard multiple positions and knock down open shots made him a key piece of the rotation all season long, and his improvement as a 3-point shooter helped get him back into the NBA and into an everyday role player.

If the Mavs are going to continue to play Exum, he has to find a way to give them positive minutes.