D.J. Augustin hopes to be Orlando Magic’s security

D.J. Augustin has bounced around the career for much of his nearly decade-long career. The journeyman hopes to bring security to the Orlando Magic.

D.J. Augustin has been at home in the NBA but without a home. The ups and downs of his career could be encapsulated in his season last year, a contract year that Augustin needed to perform at a high level to cash in on.

In his eight-year NBA career, Augustin has played for 10 different teams. His four years with the then-Charlotte Bobcats on his rookie deal were the most settled he has been in his career. Otherwise he has been the definition of a journeyman. Last year in Oklahoma City was the first time since that rookie deal expired he finished and started the year with the same team.

Change is something he is used to. As he has gotten older, he has sought some stability. Stability perhaps his inconsistent play has not warranted.

Orlando too has sought some consistency from the backup point guard position. Someone who can push Elfrid Payton, the presumed starter and the player the team has invested itself in.

This likely brought the two together. Both want stability for different reasons. And both are looking to bring more consistency to their games and take the next step up.

“Seeing the things that they were doing, trading for Serge, just the vision that they have going forward,” Augustin said. “It made me excited and made me want to be a part of it. They made me feel like family. That means a lot to me and it was a great decision for me.”

Augustin’s start in Oklahoma City last year was not strong. Things were not clicking for him, as it has at various points in his career as he bounced from team to team. This team was not a good fit for whatever reason. Augustin averaged only 4.2 points per game in about 15 minutes per game, posting a 47.9 percent effective field goal percentage.

Augustin then arrived in Denver after a mid-season trade and the light switched on again.

With his minutes nearly doubling per game, Augustin averaged 11.6 points per game and shot a 54.1 percent effective field goal percentage. His dynamic scoring made hi a weapon. And with the ball in his hands, he flourished again. His assists jumped to 4.7 assists per game, about his career average as more or less a career backup.

He has always been a guy who could shoot the ball, get into the lane and bend a defense and set others up.

“I’ve been doing what I did the last few games in Denver for the last four years,” Augustin said. “Guys getting injured, stepping up, playing starter’s minutes, playing whatever type of minutes the coach needs me to do. I’m confident in my game. I know what I can do. I think most of the NBA knows also.”

That level of consistency and the ability to make some spot starts is certainly what the Magic are looking for to stabilize the bench. The Magic got caught without any viable point guards last year as Payton struggled through December and January with an injury and C.J. Watson was out with a calf injury that kept him off the court. Shabazz Napier just did not cut it.

Augustin, for all the ups and downs throughout his career, is relatively consistent as a scorer and playmaker. His stint in Oklahoma City notwithstanding, Augustin has been good for a little bit more than 10 points per game throughout his career. And most of that as a backup point guard. He knows how to play that role well and provide a good spark for a team.

The Magic signed Augustin to a four-year, $27-million contract. That does give him a certain amount of stability and reliability in his role. The Magic clearly thought enough to make that kind of time investment in him.

There would appear to be no indication that Augustin is going to get complacent with a big contract.

“I’ve always played my game no matter what situation I was in,” Augustin said. “I never changed the way I played in my whole career.  I’m not going to change now. I’m still going to play the same way.”

Next: Orlando Magic make their bet on defense

Augustin is not going to have to fight for his NBA life any more. His role seems settled and he should be able to fit what his new team is asking him to do. Whether he can be successful now settled into a role and on a team remains to be seen.