2019 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: D.J. Augustin

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D.J. Augustin, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics

ORLANDO, FL – MARCH 16: D.J. Augustin #14 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics on March 16, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What To Look For

D.J. Augustin’s game is fairly simple and fairly reliable. That is what makes him at least a solid option.

And for a team that simply wants a stopgap at point guard, that is all the team is looking for. They do not want someone who is going to be too up or down or inconsistent. Augustin will be a steady heartbeat for the team, even if a limited one.

He averaged 10.2 points per game last year, marking just the fifth season in his career that he has topped 10 points per game.

On top of that, Augustin shot 41.9 percent from beyond the arc, the best mark since his rookie year. And on a team that lacks a lot of 3-point shooting, that makes him an extremely valuable player.

In a lot of ways, as those two raw numbers show, Augustin had a near-career year last year. He did not set too many career highs, but he reclaimed a lot of the skills and abilities that made him successful. Not to mention what made him an attractive point guard option for the Magic in that summer spending spree in 2016.

His first year in a Magic uniform was certainly disappointing. He struggled to find his footing in averaging 7.9 points per game with a 46.9 percent effective field goal percentage. He looked a whole lot more comfortable in his role and treasured the stability he had.

The Magic seem to value that stability too. That is why they will entrust him to play point guard again.

Orlando is under no illusions of what Augustin is and is not. He probably is not their long-term point guard option. And at 6-feet tall, he does not fit the team’s overall obsession with length. He is a stop gap who is simply there to keep the boat steady not guide it to safe harbor.

Nor does he have the defensive ability to match. More than anyone, the Magic may be covering for his defense next year. He had a -2.5 defensive box plus-minus, according to Basketball-Reference, and has never had a positive measurement in that rating in his career.

It is not for lack of effort, Augustin puts in his work, he just lacks much of the size and quickness to deal with modern point guards.

That is not why the Magic feel any kind of comfort sticking with Augustin for another year.

They feel that comfort because they largely know what they will get from him and they know that Augustin can play a secondary role spacing the floor and without the ball. That is something Orlando needs to let the other players grow.