Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum returned to action after suffering an ankle injury last January. Recently, he opened up about how mentally taxing the recovery process was and how badly he wanted to play.

To recall, Exum went down with an ankle injury last Jan. 5 in their game against the Detroit Pistons. The 23-year-old thought that the injury wasn't that serious and he could suit back up in two weeks. But he later realized that the recovery process would take months, per Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune.

“I tried my best to get back in two weeks — and then it was three weeks, then it was four weeks. I was trying to get back every week to play, and [the ankle] just didn’t allow it. That’s just how the injury went.”

The former fifth overall pick also shared how bad he wanted to be out there on the floor. However, he accepted that this is just the reality of some injuries. You just have to be patient and trust the process.

“I do get frustrated. I get frustrated all the time. Talk to the medical staff — just some days I come in and I’m banging my head against the wall. But that’s just the natural way of things. I just want to be out there.”

Entering Monday's showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dante Exum is averaging 7.4 points per game, 2.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds. The Jazz have placed him under a minutes restriction of 16 to 20 minutes per game until he fully recovers.