Thursday, June 26, 2008

Augustin Goes Pro for Good

This is a cross-post from my new blog, Monozygotic, but it was too relevant not to post it here.

So D.J. Augustin went ninth in the draft to the Charlotte Bobcats, not bad for a sub-6-foot point guard. I’ll admit, I was skeptical when he announced he’d go pro. After covering the Longhorns during his sophomore season, I knew how good he was but I also saw him struggle against Memphis. It seemed like that would be the best example of what he’ll face in the NBA, and it didn’t go well.

Plus, I knew how family-oriented and focused on academics he is. During the conference portion of the situation, he said he’d be coming back next year, and I didn’t think he’d change his mind.

But I guess I was too close to the situation to be able to assess it accurately. For the distant observer, it was obvious. He was an AP All-American and bound to be a lottery pick. He got the chance to live out his dream and make a ton of money in the process, and he could do it NOW.

Or he could play another year of college ball.

Before last season, Augustin worked out a lot with T.J. Ford. Ford had a message for him: “You’ve got to run the show. You’ve got to do it.”

He’ll have the same mission in Charlotte. A Charlotte Observer columnist, Tom Sorenson, saw this coming and delivered a short scouting report on Augustin.

“Augustin, 20, is almost slight. But he runs an offense beautifully. And get this: He would rather create shots for his teammates than for himself. And he can shoot. There is purity to his game.”

That sounds about right.

Good luck D.J.

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