Is DJ Augustin really the future?
When Larry Brown took over the Charlotte Bobcats, he thought that an area of need was point guard. That’s why, even though the team supposedly promised Stanford center Brook Lopez they would draft him with the 9th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, Coach Brown insisted that Rod Higgins and Michael Jordan select Texas product DJ Augustin, an intimidating 6’0, and that’ s on a stat sheet. But when Larry got to training camp and into the season, he realized he already had a point guard in Raymond Felton. Unfortunately, Raymond’s previous coaches had publicly and privately billed him as a combo guard, even though shooting is painfully not his strong suit, and neither is height. After Brown had evaluated Felton to MJ’s satisfaction, he actually decided that Ray was his guy for at least this year, not DJ. After watching this season, and listening to some very rare compliments from the veteran coach who is generally ruthless with his point guards, it is hard to think that Ray isn’t this team’s Point man for the forseeable future. This is not only based on his play, but the way Augustin was used as well.
While I will not even pretend to know as much about this team as half the people at BobcatsPlanet, I think I can tell when one person likes another’s game, and that’s what I saw from Larry Brown towards Raymond Felton. Not only was Raymond our designated closer, much to the chagrin and even despair of many fans, but he was the leader of the offense before Boris Diaw arrived, and was second only to Boris for the rest of the year. Raymond was the only player who could set up alley-oops, especially to Gerald Wallace. Also, Raymond has one major advantage on DJ on a Larry Brown team, and that is defense. He was named to John Hollinger’s Honorable Mention Defensive Team, and was 10th in the league in steals, among all positions. Bill Simmons said that if Raymond can learn to shoot 3′s, he could be the next Chauncey Billups, and that the Bobcats should be careful not to let him slip away. After the season, Coach Brown spoke publicly about his desire for Raymond to be brought back, and said “he had a phenomenal year. He’s done everything we’ve asked.” Coming from Brown, that’s beyond high praise. Felton also holds no grudges with management for shopping him all year while Brown was evaulating him, and is by all accounts one of the nicest guys in the league, but also one of the toughest. This, along with the fact that Felton set several career highs and wants to be back should make him happy here with a well-earned contract to be the starting point guard.
The other reason Felton appears to be the point guard of the future is the way DJ Augustin was used this year, and the way he seems to be being coached. Larry Brown has repeatedly bemoaned to the media that he has tried to get DJ to shoot the ball more instead of pass, to no avail. It seems like Brown is trying to recreate the undersized shooting guard type of player he had in Allen Iverson in Philadelphia that got him deep in the playoffs. Couple that behind a Chauney Billups type that won him a ring in Detroit, and Charlotte could be poised for postseason success in the future. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, DJ has to embrace the idea that maybe his coach wants him to be more than a point guard. DJ had a deadly 3 point shot, described on the forums and the podcast as “wet.” He was the gamechanger off the bench when he was healthy, and took each competition with a better guard as a personal challenge to grow as a player. For right now, he seems content ot play behind and learn from Felton. But will he still be a team player when he realizes that he isn’t the future? Who knows. Remember, he did refuse to work out for us. And don’t give me the “He wasn’t planning on falling this far” line. There are too many variables for that. You work out for anyone that asks. This kid, as cool as he seems, might not be a happy camper down the road. And we already have one of those. I’m not saying he will, and I love the kid, I’m just being cautious. But back on topic, I don’t see him being a starter for us unless either Larry Brown leaves/retires/gets fired, or Ray has something tragic happen. And none of us want either of those. All in all, even though he was just named 2nd team All-Rookie, I don’t see DJ Augustin as our guy. I could even see him as being gone before the draft.
–TeeJ
DJ is the future. IF Raymond Felton is on the team next season then he’ll be coming off the bench.
Ray will start here until he is traded or he leaves as a free agent. His play is consistant enough to keep his job, and everyone seems to look past DJ hitting that rookie wall like a mack truck. We have to see DJ get through a full season at a high level to make him our #1 PG. I would hate to rush him and have DJ burned out by the All Star break.
I’m going to say that Yes, DJ is the future at the PG position for the Bobcats. There is no doubt that Raymond has heart and that LB became a big fan of his through the course of the season, but Larry is also a fan of DJ’s and he stepped out on a limb by picking him over Brook Lopez and Anthony Randolph… Plus, you’re going to need somebody on the court who can consistently knock it down from the perimeter and Augustin can do that all day long.
Spectre! Spectre! Spectre! Verbatim on my thoughts bro. Larry Brown picked D.J. without even working him out. So evidently he saw something special in him just off of tape. Everyone claims he is messiah and he used a lottery pick on a guy that didn’t work out for the team. That being said he knows what he has and got what he wanted and Daryl Jerrard Augustin is the present and the future because Larry Brown said so. He watched tape on Felton im sure. He was playing the point, shooting guard and leading as many state on here and still drafted D.J..Some say he didn’t know what he had in Felton. I say being that he has been coaching over 100 years he had an idea and that’s why we have D.J.
Toot Daddy, Larry Brown himself said repeatedly he didn’t know what he had in Felton…and he hasn’t used DJ in a traditional PG way, like he did with say, Chauncey Billups. He uses him like a shooting guard, like AI. That’s not going to be the future of the point, is it?
I meant Ziggy Ziggy Ziggy but there a reason Spectre came to mind.
Pray tell…why?
The fact that you can debate who is better, Raymond or DJ doesn’t say much for Raymond. DJ is a rookie, so there are going to be growing pains. Raymond has been in the league long enough to shoot better than 39%. I’m sorry, but this team not good enough to have a PG who is such an offensive liability. Raymond would be a great fit in a system that doesn’t need offense from its PG, but on a team that struggles to score, a PG who can’t shoot makes a bad situation even worse!!!
i dont know who u r but u need to keep ur mouth shut the bobcats r gonna go far this year and dj is not no rookie u mite b but he aint u dont talk bout dj cause if i knew u in person we would b fightin by now dont try dj cause dat mean u tryin me so watch ur self!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ROy says it best,and what’s with this love for Ray am i not seeing something here Ray has consistently….ok…ok maybe 1-2 games he was semi clutch and hit a couple big buckets all season long though Rays offense has been whack as hell and his fg at 39% are you freaking kidding me here.I love Ray but let’s go easy on DJ huh a rookie and he shot a better fg% than Ray in his rookie season.Let’s look at the real problem here which is we all know do i even need to say his name ok i will Sean May and our pussies up front yes that includes Okafor.Diaw was a good surprise and he’s a valuable piece to our core so he’s excused but our other forwards are also whack.And by the way Ray shot a ugly disgusting 28% from 3 sooooooooooooooo don’t hold your breath on Ray “developing a consistent 3″.DJ is the future whether it be here or somewhere where he’s realised as such…..idiots.