D.J. Augustin comes to the Milwaukee Bucks after having logged quite a journeyed career around the NBA for more than a decade.
The Milwaukee Bucks were quite busy in free agency this offseason, but no signing proved to be bigger financially than their reported addition of D.J. Augustin.
Having agreed to a three-year deal worth $21 million, with the third year of his deal fully non-guaranteed, the Bucks signed Augustin through their non-taxpaying midlevel exception.
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With the void left behind George Hill, who was included within the massive four-team deal that netted the Bucks veteran guard Jrue Holiday, Augustin is expected to occupy a similar role to Hill, potentially as the Bucks’ sixth man next season.
Over his various stops around the league, Augustin has shown to be a viable contributor, especially with a Bucks team that holds title aspirations.
But how did Augustin get to Milwaukee and enjoyed such a long and successful career that has been rife with changes and many stints? Let’s dive into the long journey Augustin has taken that has now led to being one of many new Bucks this offseason.
Reflecting on D.J. Augustin’s time at the University of Texas
Augustin has long been in the consciousness of the NBA, well before he stepped foot into the league.
The New Orleans native had fashioned himself into being a high-profile recruit during his time at Brother Martin High School in the Crescent City where he also won pair of state championships. But before Augustin was able to finish out his time in New Orleans going into his senior season, Hurricane Katrina had devastated the city and the lives of millions, Augustin’s included.
The massive storm displaced Augustin and his family to Houston, Texas and Augustin recalled living through such a turbulent period in he and his family’s life to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com back in February of 2017:
"“Watching it on the news, we didn’t know what was truly going on. Cell phones weren’t working and we couldn’t get back into the city because they wouldn’t let anybody back in. It was just like a waiting game, and we were forced to watch it on the news like everybody else,’’ Augustin recalled. “A lot of those people (stranded in New Orleans) were friends and family that stayed and we didn’t know if they made it out. Watching it on the news and seeing your city underwater, that’s tough to see. It was hard to deal with for a long time.’’"
In nearby Missouri City, Texas, Augustin finished out his high school career at Hightower High School. It also led to him choosing to go to Texas University where he would come to Austin with plenty of fanfare, especially as he was in the same class as future MVP and two-time NBA champion, Kevin Durant.
Augustin brought his sizzling shooting and precise playmaking to the Longhorns, but it was after his brilliant sophomore season, where he averaged 19.2 points per game on.439/.381/.783 shooting splits and 5.8 assists per game where he took the plunge and entered the NBA. That was after being a consensus All-American and the winner of the Bob Cousy award in 2008.
Little did Augustin know that his time in the NBA would be as fraught with ups and downs as it was for him to reach the league.
Looking at D.J. Augustin’s journeyed NBA career
Having logged eight stints across the league before coming to Milwaukee, Augustin has recorded his fair share of frequent flyer miles over his 12-year NBA career.
But it all started when Augustin was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the then-Charlotte Bobcats (fun fact: Augustin was selected one pick ahead of starting Bucks big man Brook Lopez).
Upon arriving in Charlotte, though, Augustin had his work cut out for him in terms of being able to establish himself in the league, especially under legendary head coach Larry Brown. Augustin proved to be capable upon entering the league as he averaged 11.8 points, shot 43.9 percent from three, and averaged 3.5 assists through72 appearances and made it on to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team for the 2008-09 season.
But Augustin’s time in Charlotte had plenty of ups and downs, some of which was self-inflicted on Augustin’s part. It certainly didn’t help that Augustin’s effectiveness dropped off from his rookie season, all of which brought on plenty of his uncertainty as far as his time in Charlotte was concerned.
After the Bobcats’ 7-59 campaign during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, Augustin was slated to enter restricted free agency. That was until the Bobcats pulled his qualifying offer, turning him into an unrestricted free agent and freeing him to sign with the Indiana Pacers.
That charted the course for the many travels that Augustin has had over his time in the NBA. From 2012 to 2016, Augustin played for seven different teams, was dealt midseason in two straight seasons and was waived by the Toronto Raptors after 10 appearances in 2013-14.
In the midst of growing his family at the time, Augustin touched on the hardships of that whirlwind period of his NBA career with Sean Deveney of Forbes back in October of 2019:
"“At that time, (my wife) was pregnant and we had our daughter, she was young,” Augustin said. “She was almost two and my wife was pregnant with my older son. She handled everything as far as packing and the move. I had to get up and go to the next city and meet the new team. My wife held it down for the family. When you come into the NBA, you don’t expect that, you don’t expect that you are going to be moved around a lot.”"
It was finally with the Magic, whom he signed a four-year, $29 million deal during the free agent frenzy that the summer of 2016, that Augustin regained a sense of security that he had not had since coming to the league in Charlotte.
As a result, it just so happened that some of Augustin’s best and most efficient years came over his four-year stint in Orlando, especially under head coach Steve Clifford. And Augustin made himself a folk hero after sealing the Magic’s stunning Game 1 victory over the Toronto Raptors during the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
Following his shining moment that day, Augustin reflected on all of the hurdles and criticism he had faced throughout his time in the NBA as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wrote about following the win:
"“Honestly, I don’t listen to that kind of stuff and I never did,’’ a defiant Augustin says in reference to the cacophony of criticism he’s faced over the years. “I’ve been the same size since I was [young] and nobody expected me to be in the NBA and I’m going into my 12th year. I don’t listen to what the outside people say. I only care about my family, people close to me and my teammates. If they believe in me, and my coaches believed in me from the jump, that’s all I’ve needed.”"
That’s certainly got him this far in the face of many adversities over his NBA career and that now brings him to Milwaukee.
Analyzing D.J. Augustin’s playing style with the Milwaukee Bucks
By coming to Milwaukee, Augustin will certainly bring a dose of instant offense and perimeter shooting, just as he’s done over his NBA career to this point.
Milwaukee lost their sixth man, George Hill, through the Jrue Holiday trade, leaving open the need for the Bucks to replenish a steady floor general that’s capable of leading their bench unit. The Bucks clearly valued and offered a meaningful role for Augustin, as evidenced by the agreement he and the team struck up on the first full day of free agency.
At this stage in his career, Augustin is certainly well-suited to play that role and brings a different dimension to the Bucks’ offense than how they’ve operated during the Mike Budenholzer era.
To that point, Augustin ran the second-highest frequency of pick-and-rolls for all handlers for the 2019-20 season, per NBA.com/stats. Having ranked in the 73rd percentile on such possessions, Augustin stands as something of a pick-and-roll maestro, which is essential in freeing him up to let it fly off the dribble or even penetrate the paint, given his size deficiencies.
For a Bucks team that has generally relied more on their read-and-react offensive system, incorporating more set plays and pick-and-rolls will be the key in unlocking Augustin’s shot creation abilities. That will especially be key in unleashing Augustin’s 3-point prowess, which the Bucks are hopeful will shoot back up after he shot 34.8 percent from that level of the floor last season.
There’s not much question as to what Augustin will look to bring to the Bucks’ offense and how much freedom he’ll have in being able to lead the second unit and more when he’s on the floor. When coupling that with his pragmatic decision making and ability to create opportunities for others, it only makes more sense for the Bucks to entrust Augustin into handling the reins in those situations.
It’s on the defensive end where Augustin has much to prove, especially within how the Bucks have operated on that side of the ball.
The former Longhorn is obviously fresh off of playing with a defensive and principled mind in Steve Clifford and will likely seeing similarities in Mike Budenholzer, his new coach. As much as Augustin has accrued plenty of experience of defending at the NBA level, his size and declining athleticism are mighty big questions that he’ll have to answer.
Milwaukee certainly has the defensive infrastructure that can cover up for Augustin’s physical deficiencies, but it’s under high-leverage minutes where his limitations may leave him off the floor. We’ll just have to see how it all unfolds.
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.