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Orlando Magic: 3 ways they can turn things around

By Luke Duffy

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 13: D.J. Augustin #14 of the Orlando Magic puts up a shot against Jeff Green #32 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Capital One Arena on March 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 13: D.J. Augustin #14 of the Orlando Magic puts up a shot against Jeff Green #32 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Capital One Arena on March 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

3. Trust D.J. Augustin

The Magic’s point guard rotation was a real weakness at the beginning of the season, but the emergence of Isaiah Briscoe and the steady hand of D.J. Augustin went some way to silencing the negative chatter around their depth.

Briscoe has been in and out of the rotation recently due to injury, but Augustin has continued to play, and play well — so much so that he has already proven the doubters wrong by showing that he is more than a capable backup in today’s NBA.

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The 27.7 minutes per game that Augustin is averaging are way up on the 23.5 per game from last season, but with games meaning that bit more, surely increasing his minutes is the right thing to do as the Magic look to clinch a postseason spot?

Augustin is relatively durable, only missing one game so far this season. He has also started every game he’s played, and fought through a sprained ankle last week to play on and try to help lead the organization to some more wins.

It looks like some Magic players don’t really care at the moment, but this is not true of Augustin. He was the one who went on a personal eight-point run in the first quarter in the loss to the Wizards with a pair of 3-pointers with a delightful move to the basket sandwiched in between.

His offensive output is the reason he should be playing closer to the 33.6 minutes per game he averaged in his third year in the league, when he was a member of the Charlotte Bobcats. He has an offensive rating of 109, and leads the Magic in 3-point percentage (43.2 percent).

At a time when the playoffs are slipping from their grasp, leaning into one of their most consistent performers in Augustin would be a good idea.

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