2008 Draft Recap for Charlotte Bobcats - DJ Augustin
06/27/2008My initial reaction last night to the Augustin pick was not one of delight, to say the least. The selection was met with a large amount of surprise and derision in the live blog last night, with a few snippets re-printed here:
Corndogg - Hey, at least this means they aren't bringing back Jeff McInnis. That is a win for the Bobcats in my opinionOh, and Corndogg told me to step away from the butcher knife - while that was more drastic than an action I would take, I was not pleased at the time. However, with a day to look back on it, I have to say I am feeling better, for 2 main reasons:
[Comment From Devine]Muy interesante -- donde esta el Felton?
[Comment From Mike C.] its never a good sign when stern is the same height as your pick
Matt Moore - I like the pick.
Corndogg - Of course you do Matt, cause he went to Texas. You are an IDIOT!!!!
1. Corn was right - no McInnis
Simply removing Jeff from the Bobcats roster from next year is good for a couple of more wins. That is how bad he was this past year. I have harped on it enough previously that I will not go back into it now - but knowing that he will not be with the team pleases me. A great deal.
2. Augustin has some comparables in the NBA
There are a handful of players in the NBA who manage to produce despite being under 6 feet tall - Jameer Nelson and Damon Stoudamire are 2. Jameer led the Magic to the playoffs this past spring and Damon has guided several playoff squads (back in Portland). So, teams can win with an undersized point.
3. T.J. Ford
What makes me feel most confident in DJ's chance is another former Texas player - T.J. Ford. Ford is about an inch taller than DJ, but DJ has the longer wingspan at 6-3.5 to 5-11.5. TJ has made his mark in the NBA due to his exceptional quickness...and DJ is quicker. At the pre-draft combine, TJ had times of 11.45 in the lane agility drill and 3.20 in the 3/4 court sprint: Both of those numbers were bested by DJ, at 11.27 and 3.07.
One more thing to like about DJ is his shooting ability - unlike Ford, it is not a skill he needs to learn. In his last season of college ball, TJ shot 40.1% from the floor, and 26.5% on threes. DJ is easily the superior marksman, at 43.9 and 38.1. Granted, Ford is probably the better passer, with slightly better court vision, but Augustin was still regarded as the second best pure point in the draft to Derrick Rose.
All told, Augustin may still not have been the best choice. But he was at least a good choice, with an excellent player to model hs game after hailing from his own school. I will be looking forward to watching DJ fly up and down the court for the Bobcats in the season ahead.
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| Chris Says: | You might be right about the Augustin pick. IT might be a good one. I wasn't wild about it, but I also had no idea DJ was that quick. I remember seeing TJ at the McD's game in Cameron and thinking that he was insanely fast. All that aside, I laughed at Bill Simmons' draft diary during the pick: 5:24: Our first stunner of the night: Charlotte reaching for D.J. Augustin at No. 9, followed by a shot of a devastated Brook Lopez in the stands. Hey, any time you have a chance to grab a career backup with the ninth pick, you gotta do it. (Do you think Charlotte's war room is located on the ninth hole at MJ's golf course? Like, it's basically him on his cell phone and two other guys on Treos trying to rush the pick in before they sneak in nine more holes? The Bobcats might be the worst-run franchise in the league. And that's saying something. If MJ's Bulls career was like Ted Danson's run on "Cheers," then his Wizards comeback was "Becker," and this current Bobcats debacle is definitely "Help Me Help You.") http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080626 |
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| Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:23 am |
| James Says: | I'm a firm believer in picking a guy you hope to start in the top 10. Lopez would have been that guy. Why not draft Lopez at 9 who can come in and contribute right away and still draft Ajinca at 20 and allow him to come along slowly? You could then address your backup PG position in the second round or with a FA. This would have given the Bobcats four guys to play the 4/5 (assuming May never comes back healthy). Now, if Ajinca struggles the Bobcats are right where they were last year except they have a better backup PG to play 12 minutes a game. That wouldn't be much to show for two 1st round picks. |
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| Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:26 pm |
| Brett Says: | Chris - I remember watching TJ in that game as well, and being quite impressed (also remember him pulling the playground move from NBA Street). Seeing the combine numbers improved my mood a good bit though. James - I am not convinced that anyone available at 9 was a sure thing to come in right away and start - not even for the Bobcats. Lopez has some skills, offensive for the most part, but is not a great rebounder which is an area the Bobcats are weak in already. Not sure he is a good fit along side Emeka, as his game is similar to that of Nazr, who we already know is a poor fit next to Mek. |
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| Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:21 pm |
