Milwaukee Bucks: Getting to know new sixth man D.J. Augustin

Getting an expert’s opinion on new Milwaukee Bucks player, D.J. Augustin

I was fortunate enough to talk with Philip Rossman-Reich over at Orlando Magic Daily about D.J. Augustin and what Bucks fans should expect from the veteran guard. Here is our brief Q&A as follows, but I highly suggest you check out Philip and his team’s fantastic work at Orlando Magic Daily:

Having seen him play up close over the last four years, how would you reflect on D.J. Augustin’s time with the Orlando Magic?

"“D.J. Augustin was simply the perfect game manager for a young team. He was good at keeping his dribble alive and keeping everyone in the flow of things. He was good enough to initiate the offense, but also smart enough know when to stay out of the way and use his shooting to spread the floor. There was a lot of skepticism four years ago when the Magic signed him, but he leaves with just about every Magic fan feeling appreciative of his time and efforts here. He was really a true professional and did whatever the Magic needed him to do. He held down the starting spot and provided consistency and gave way to Markelle Fultz when that time came and played well off the bench.”"

Some of Augustin’s best and most efficient years in his NBA career came while in Orlando. What reasons would you chalk that up to, whether it be his role or otherwise?

"“A lot of it frankly had to do with stability. Yes, the Magic changed coaches midway through Augustin’s time in Orlando. But this was the first time he spent more than two years in any one city since his rookie contract with the then-Charlotte Bobcats. That was something he was desperately looking for when he signed four years ago. And you could tell just how comfortable he was finally being able to settle down with his family in one spot for a long time. I think the Magic put him in a good role too, of course. The Magic filled him in wherever they needed him and he attacked it with the intensity and professionalism you would expect from a quality veteran.”"

Bucks fans had pegged Augustin as an interesting free agent target, given his ability to provide a scoring spark at the point guard position. How do you think he’ll slot in to the Bucks’ foundation as most likely their new sixth man?

"“I think he will be a really solid addition to the Milwaukee Bucks. They did not really have a backup point guard in a traditional sense last year. And you could tell those bench lineups were when teams felt like they could take advantage of Milwaukee — of course, that is always the sense when Giannis Antetokounmpo is off the floor. Augustin should be able to come in and run the offense when he or Jrue Holiday are out. But he should be able to complement them well too. He is solid off the ball and a great 3-point shooter. It would not surprise me if Milwaukee is comfortable running two-guard lineups out there or using Augustin as a secondary ball-handler alongside Antetokounmpo. Really, there is no team that Augustin couldn’t help. He isn’t a game-changer by any means, but he is solid and knows exactly what his team needs from him.”"

Certainly, Augustin’s abilities on the court speak for themselves. But what else should Bucks fans expect with Augustin now in the mix?

"“Honestly, as much sense as it made for the Orlando Magic to let him go, they are really going to miss him. Augustin is one of the best veterans a young team could have. He was often staying after practices while the media waited for players to come out of the locker room doing shooting drills with the two-way players and other young players on the roster. He is quiet, but he is a constant trash talker and does a really good job keeping the entire team loose. Milwaukee is obviously a bit of a different team than Orlando in its developmental course. But Augustin is the kind of veteran every team needs. It is hard not to like him personally.”"

Again, a huge thank you to Philip for joining me to talk about Augustin and hopefully, we all have a better sense of how Augustin can fit with the Milwaukee Bucks. They’ll certainly depend on them to enjoy success this coming 2020-21 season.