Milwaukee Bucks: Grades for D.J. Augustin’s three-year, $21 million deal

Examining D.J. Augustin’s fit with the Milwaukee Bucks

With a likely sturdy role available to him now that he’s coming to Milwaukee, Augustin’s looking to realize the clear fit as the team’s new sixth man behind their new leading trio.

Of the many free agent guards out there, it’s Augustin who brings the instant offense and reliability the Bucks need from such a role, especially after dealing with away Hill as part of the Holiday trade. It certainly helps that Augustin has been a career 37.9 percent 3-point shooter and has recently put together some of his most efficient campaigns in his now-completed stint with the Magic.

While most have focused on the fact that Augustin is coming off a down shooting where he averaged 10.5 points per game on 34.8 percent shooting from three, Augustin’s 41.6 percent shooting on catch-and-shoot triples last year is a positive indication in his ability to playoff the ball. Surely, though, it will be encouraging to see him hit shots off the dribble to the degree that he did in 2018-19 when he hit 38.9 percent of his threes off the dribble.

For the scoring spark he provides, Augustin’s level-headed playmaking and ability to initiate a team’s offense at the 1 is also a positive facet to look towards when it comes to projecting his role in Milwaukee. Having a career 2.65 assist-to-turnover ratio only speaks to the smart decision making he has historically brought to the table and the same goes for his 26.7 career assist percentage.

It’s on the defensive end where Augustin may be the most limited and where some of the concerns surface in bringing in the 12-year NBA veteran.

Standing at 5’11” and armed with a 6’3″ wingspan, Augustin certainly is on the slighter size and differs from the long, rangy and athletic point guards the Bucks have favored in meaningful roles (two-way Frank Mason III would be an exception here if he played more). How will that fare within the Bucks’ defensive scheme where they ask their point of attack defenders to fight through screens and contest shots from opposing ball handlers?

That’s where, if Bucks fans are continuing with the comparison of both Augustin and Hill, will tend negatively in the change between the veteran guards and former teammates. With that said, the Magic were able to build top-10 defenses in each of the last 10 years under head coach Steve Clifford and with Augustin playing many minutes on a nightly basis.

Either way, Augustin may be tested on that front, even if he has shown a competitiveness and has the speed to keep opposing guards in front of him under such situations.