Augustin's Stock Still High After Disappointing Finale

by PB @ BON on Apr 4, 2008 10:38 PM CDT in Basketball

DJ Augustin didn't fare well in what may have been his final game in burnt orange and white, but it hasn't hurt his draft stock in the eyes of the experts. Writes ESPN.com's Chad Ford (In$ider):

Augustin really, really struggled against Memphis. The Tigers were too big and Augustin couldn't get great looks -- his 4-for-18 shooting performance surely left a bad taste. Still, he absolutely dominated Stanford (23 points, 7 assists) to get to the Elite Eight and scouts are writing off Augustin's woes against Memphis to a perfect storm of a problem. Said one, "He's not going to come across many point guards in the NBA with [Memphis point guard Derrick] Rose's strength and size, that's why everyone covets him. On most nights, Augustin won't struggle like this. And what he brings is the best floor vision in college basketball."

Look for him to fall somewhere between Nos. 8 and 15 if he declares for the draft. He seems like a perfect fit on a team like the Pacers, who are desperately in need of a floor general who can lead on and off the court.

Though there's some chance DJ may return to improve his strength, conditioning, and overall game - not to mention a possible Final Four/Championship run - he appears to have earned a top selection in the 2008 Draft. If he leaves, we certainly can't blame him.

Stay tuned.

--PB--

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Along the same lines...

Found this blurb from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer via TrueHoop:

Kevin Durant is still bothered by the perception -- primarily by former Texas Tech coach Bob Knight -- that he attended school one semester at Texas while merely waiting to enter the NBA draft following last season. Prospects such as Michael Beasley and Eric Gordon, similar to Durant, are pondering their professional futures after one year of college.
Durant is a proponent of the mandatory one-year rule and said his season with the Longhorns was a tremendous help as opposed to entering the draft straight out of Montrose Christian High School.
"I miss Texas, the whole group of guys, the schools, and I didn't want to rush into anything," he said. "When (Knight) made that comment I was a little upset because a lot of people think I don't always go to class and people do my work for me and I got paid to go to school. And that upset me coming from a coach. I thought he would understand more where the players are coming from in terms of getting an education."

Gotta love #35.

by whoopspat on Apr 4, 2008 11:20 PM CDT 0 recs

um..

but he didn't stay to get his "education" even though said educational experience would have been infinitely superior by most standards than anyone who actually did earn a degree.

Crystal Balls

by MMHorns on Apr 5, 2008 1:59 AM CDT up 0 recs

Suns?

As I recall, the Suns picked up Atlanta's pick in the Joe Johnson trade. That should put them in a position between #8 and #15. Backing up Steve Nash would be a great way for DJ to get started in the NBA.

by Caradoc on Apr 4, 2008 11:25 PM CDT 0 recs