Summer School: DJ Augustin

[BigSlam]

We can create a thread for each player to discuss the things you would like to see the player work on over the summer and bring to the team next season. This isn't about their contract status or a bashing thread or love fest thread or a trade thread or a player comparison thread. Just a thread of improvement ideas.

DJ: Put up great numbers as a starter this season (only started twice though) and as the season got longer, he got better.

The things I would love for him to seriously work on are two fold. Firstly his on court presence. Show you can be a leader. Bark orders, get your team mates in position if they are out of position, show you can lead. Time to transition from a boy in the NBA to a man. The other thing is making quicker decisions. He usually makes pretty good ones, but at times they take too long. Got to be more swift.

Tape of guys to study: Chris Paul (for how to be a floor general/leader) and Steve Nash (for a guy who knows what he is going to do with the ball long before he does it).

What would you guys say?

[ball teacher]

I saw him in college and thought he was very good, I even ranked him as one of the top 3 point guards the season when, D. Rose, and Collison from UCLA were in the NCAA tourney. Then Texas played vs Memphis and Rose destroyed him! Ever since then D.J's stock has gone down with me. The games I saw him play this year didn't impress me. He had a few games where he made some big shots, and a few nice passes, but mostly I see his excessive dribbling, his quick shots, his lack off ball movement and small size. D.J should be the third point guard for the team, I don't know where to start at with this guy. He hurt the Bobcats in the playoffs I believe game 4 was the game the team was right about to take over the game but D.J's decision making, turnovers and quick missed shots sealed the team's fate. If this guy has anything going for him I'd trade him for a solid young player, the young guy Rodrigue Beaubois from Dallas can play, the backup point guard from Phoenix Goran Dragic, Eric Maynor from Oklahoma City Thunder, the Laker's free agent backup Jordan Farmar, the Spurs George Hill, the Bucks Luke Ridnour, all of these guys are backups who are bigger and more talented than D.J. What he can improve on, he needs to learn to run the offense better, set up the sets and get the ball movement going. Focus on getting teamates open shots, I feel he spent too much time trying to make a name for himself as a scoring point guard and he's not even really a good scorer, instead he should be more of a passing, fast break leading point guard (who actually passes on the break). If Charlotte can get a scoring big man, maybe it could help D.J's game some because he'd be able to get a few more open jumpers, idk, I just really dislike D.J's point guard game, and the point is my favorite position since it's the one I played. Hate to be so hard on the guy but in the NBA, everyone has talent and D.J doesnt have anything to seperate him from the others and again, he's undersized! I'd trade him away.

[BigSlam]

I seriously, seriously think you are missing the point of the thread teach.

[Walt Cronkite]

I like the Paul and Nash suggestions. Can't really think of better guys to teach a pg how to be a pg.

[SWedd523]

I like the Paul and Nash suggestions. Can't really think of better guys to teach a pg how to be a pg.

Well he could learn from the best PG in the league, Deron Williams, buttttt I think DJ's body type matches up a little better with the other two

[BigSlam]

I like the Paul and Nash suggestions. Can't really think of better guys to teach a pg how to be a pg.

Well he could learn from the best PG in the league, Deron Williams, buttttt I think DJ's body type matches up a little better with the other two

Agreed SWedd. He's quick and small like CP3 and Nasty. Not so much rugged and athletic like D.Will.

[Walt Cronkite]

Don't let me down DJ.. big year comin up.

[fatlever]

confidence
shot selection
strength
explosion

[SWedd523]

Just go back to playing like you did rookie year and you'll make up for not resigning Ray.

[Rich4114]

So we want him to mold his games after MVP PG types, I'm down with that plan. Let it be done!

[nba_addict]

Im wondering as to what happened to him. He was the 2nd best point guard in 2008 draftclass and he had spectacular games in his regular season. I have looked at his rookie numbers and he posted up 17.8ppg - 2.4rpg - 5.6apg in 47% 2pt shooting, 53% 3pt shooting and 88% FT shooting in 12 games where he started and played an average of 38 minutes per game. If I remember those games accurately those starts are Augustin and Felton starting at the same time.

Is it a case that Augustin never had a ample and consistent playing time to showcase what his game really was? I must admit I only saw 1 Bobcats game this season and havent noticed DJ that much. What happened to him?

[August Us Seazr]

From the Wishful Thinking file:

Year 2 is noted for the sophomore jinx. That time where what you learned as a rookie gets screwed up by what you got from the summer after the rookie year. If he's bright, he is getting his head straightened out so that he plays within himself.... and instinctively. Which means we get DJ v.1 returned to us this season.

One other thing. A little more pt would have helped his confidence. He was a bit of an afterthought for a stretch last season. If he needs it to be better, only he can make it happen...or he'll only have himself to blame. I hope you can do it, D.J.!