Orlando Magic: D.J. Augustin Is Perfect

The signing of D.J. Augustin by the Orlando Magic will be a move that works out well for both parties.

By now you will be well aware of the moves the Orlando Magic have made heading into the new season. While none register quite on the level of Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors, it’s been a productive summer so far.

Only time will tell if the moves made will help the team in the medium and long term. However most fans seem happy with the fact the organization finally showed a willingness to move in one direction.

One player who was added to the team during that busy period was D.J. Augustin. A point guard who was a lottery pick of the Charlotte Hornets (at the time the Bobcats) in 2008, the 28-year-old has struggled to find a permanent home in the league.

This is down to circumstance more than his ability as a player, and in actual fact the Magic may have signed one of the most diverse guards in the league by adding Augustin. He may prove to be a steal, and could be one of the under the radar signings of the season.

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There are a number of reasons for this, but we should start with the eye test (partly because it’s relevant, but also because the number crunchers who discard talk like this can get it out of the way).

Role players are hugely important in the league; there is no magical Warriors run with a guy like Shaun Livingston. The Miami Heat don’t win a second title of the LeBron James era without Ray Allen. Even the Dallas Mavericks would have likely come up short in 2011 without J.J. Barea.

If you’d asked me at the end of last season what role players in the NBA today seem to consistently perform above their role every time they step out on the court, two names would have come to mind: Courtney Lee and D.J. Augustin.

So that is what the Magic are getting here. A role player who has played for various contenders throughout his career (Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder) and been an important part of those teams.

The real beauty of the signing, though, is that he’s a backup point guard and has been for most of his career. His third and fourth years in the league, both with Charlotte, he was a starter but other than that, he’s backed up All-Stars like Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook.

As a 23-year-old starter, he averaged more than14 points and six assists and looked set to continue to improve as a player. For whatever reason it’s never happened, but bouncing around the league didn’t help his cause.

We know he can produce when given the chance and yet he’s still quietly consistent when confined to a role off the bench. This is why he is destined to work so well with fellow floor general Elfrid Payton.

With all of the changes the Magic are making to their roster, some wondered if Payton may also have been shown the exit following a rocky start to life as a professional. Thankfully that hasn’t happened and in Augustin, he has found the perfect player to complement him.

It’s unlikely Augustin is coming in to steal his spot, so he can continue to grow as a player–most likely as a starter. Knowing the guy coming in isn’t there to take your spot and will be used to back you up has got to fill a young guy with confidence.

But if Payton continues to struggle, we know that Augustin is a capable starter as well. If this incarnation of the Magic also fails to get off the ground and Payton is moved, Augustin is the perfect stop-gap player until another solution is found.

Interestingly, he could also work well alongside Payton as well. Augustin shot 40.5 percent from three-point range last season, higher than his career average (37.5 percent). He’s been asked to run second units most of his career, yet his production off the ball is underrated.

Looking at the bigger picture, Augustin likely wants to find a home in this league as well. At four years and $29 million, he’ll get the chance to do just that and at a price that hardly even registers on the Magic’s salary sheet.

So many players slip out of the league and are never heard from again and truthfully Augustin still fits in that category. But he’s got a real chance now to stay somewhere for the long term and help Orlando back to the playoffs.

So for those of you keeping score, for less than $8 million a season the Orlando Magic have gotten a backup point guard who knows his place on a team, but one who also regularly plays at an ability above his station.

Somebody who can start for a team if needed (both Rose and Westbrook had their injury troubles when he played alongside them) and who is desperate to impress and stick with a team for more than a season.

Add in his the fact he’s a better three-point shooter than the likes of Payton and Victor Oladipo, as well as working well off the ball, and this truly does seem like the perfect acquisition.

The idea of Augustin executing the pick and roll with Nikola Vucevic (possibly) or Bismack Biyombo (probably) is nice too.

In fact, that move may work best with Serge Ibaka and his three-point shooting skills. Then you realize the two know each other from their time together in Oklahoma City as well, meaning they’re familiar with each other’s games.

There are no drawbacks that I can see to signing Augustin. If anything, there may come a time when he’s starting for this team. Should they get off to a strong start and need veterans on the court to close games out on a nightly basis, Augustin can certainly help with that.

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He won’t win Sixth Man of the Year, nor will he be the Most Improved Player in the league next season. But D.J. Augustin and the Orlando Magic, well that’s a perfect fit for both.