The final (updated) grade for the D.J. Augustin signing almost a year later for the Milwaukee Bucks
I don’t want to be too hard on Augustin (even though I definitely have been to this point). He wasn’t the one who offered the contract, he simply signed it. I’m sure he would have wanted to play better than he did with the Bucks, but it just wasn’t a good fit.
Bucks fans had gotten to see how good Hill was in the backup point guard role for almost two seasons. Bringing in a much different player in Augustin was going to be a bit of a culture shock from a playstyle perspective. Hill’s frame allows for him to do things that Augustin can’t, and what Hill brings to the table as a point of attack defender and finisher at the rim are just not strengths for a smaller guard like Augustin.
Again, even if Augustin didn’t miss a bunch of shots at the rim and was right around his career averages on 2-point field goals, the biggest issue would have still been his defense. The Bucks ask a lot out of their point of attack defenders, and having both Augustin and Bryn Forbes on the floor wasn’t going to last.
There was healthy skepticism when the initial deal was signed, both for the price and for the actual fit on the court. It turned out that almost all of the skepticism was warranted.
In his abbreviated stint with the Bucks, Augustin underperformed in addition to being an already questionable fit. Hopefully, for Augustin, he can get out of an obvious rebuilding team in Houston and find a home on a playoff team that can use him to his strengths more.
BTBP (Updated) Final Grade: D
This could be seen as Horst’s worst move as general manager, but at least he was able to move on from it relatively quickly.