This week, the Los Angeles Lakers added backcourt depth by signing veteran guard D.J. Augustin.
At first glance, it may seem as if he will make no more than a minimal impact, but head coach Frank Vogel is optimistic about how Augustin will help the team.
Augustin, who is in his 14th NBA season, has been a journeyman, but he has always been a fine 3-point shooter (he has a 38.0% career average from downtown) and competent secondary floor general/playmaker.
Vogel coached him a few years ago when both were with the Orlando Magic.
Via LakersNation:
“I like what he brings to the table,” said Vogel. “Not just with the off-ball ability to shoot the basketball and stretch the floor and give our guys more space, but when we played smaller lineups with AD (Anthony Davis) at the five or LeBron (James) at the five. DJ when he played with Vooch (Nikola Vucevic), I thought had his best stretch of his career. Those final two years in Orlando where Vooch was a five and they we’re playing a five-out system with an open paint.
“He’s a very, very good pocket pass and pick-and-roll playmaker. You have to go over his pick-and-rolls or he will beat you over the top. He almost beat us last year when we played Houston in this building. He can still go. I think he’s going to help us, we think he’s going to help us.”
Vogel and the Lakers had big plans for Kendrick Nunn, whom the team signed as a free agent last summer, but he has not played in a regular-season game due to injury. General manager Rob Pelinka recently said he hopes Nunn can return by late March.
One of the Lakers’ many problems this year has been its lack of consistent 3-point shooting and overall serviceable depth throughout the roster.
If Augustin is up to the task, he can help in those areas, as well as give the team another option at lead guard when Russell Westbrook is having a bad outing.
Augustin spent the first part of this season with the Houston Rockets before they released him in February.
