Stan Van Gundy recruiting DJ Augustin could give the New Orleans Pelicans a steady back-up point guard
The Stan Van Gundy era is officially underway for the New Orleans Pelicans but what does that mean? It means that the organization is putting its faith in Van Gundy to transition into a team that plays strong basketball rooted in fundamentals.
I think it’s important to mention that a transition like that won’t happen without consistency. When Van Gundy’s teams are playing consistent basketball, they win, it’s that simple.
The same sentiment can be said about any coach in the NBA, but history shows it’s true with Stan Van Gundy. When Van Gundy’s players are locked in and focused, their teams reach great heights, that was the case for the Orlando Magic. When they aren’t, it becomes a problem. That’s why his tenures in Miami and Detriot ended so badly.
So, we know now that the New Orleans Pelicans need to be more consistent under Stan Van Gundy, but where? I’d look at the back-up point guard position. Last season, the Pelicans failed to have steady production from any point guard on their bench, and that lack of depth proved costly at the end of the season.
The Pelicans need to improve that production if they want to perform under Stan Van Gundy, and I think DJ Augustin would be the perfect player to bring in to do it.
Why DJ Augustin makes sense with Stan Van Gundy and the New Orleans Pelicans
I believe that DJ Augustin is perfect for this role for a couple of reasons, but it all starts with his history with Stan Van Gundy. During the 2014-2015 regular season, Augustin started 54 games at point guard for Van Gundy’s Detriot Pistons and provided steady and reliable production.
In that span of games, Augustin put up 11 points and 5 assists per night. Not flashy numbers by any measure, but steady production that Van Gundy could count on. With Augustin being a free agent this year, David Griffin and Stan Van Gundy should try to bring Augustin to New Orleans.
Why bring in Augustin? Well, rather than trying to draft a back-up point guard who would deal the ups-and-downs of a rookie season, the Pelicans can sign Augustin who’s a calm veteran presence. It makes so much sense because we’ve seen that Lonzo Ball is a streaky player, so the Pelicans could use a veteran they could count on behind him.
Augustin’s familiarity with Van Gundy’s scheme is another reason why this signing would make sense for the Pelicans. Instead of the team having to teach Van Gundy’s system to a young player, Augustin could come in and know exactly what to do. That means, running pick-and-roll action on offense, giving effort on defense, and avoiding turnovers. The Pelicans can count on DJ Augustin to do that.
Added bonus, we’ve written before Augustin is a New Orleans native and who knows he might love the idea of being able to return to his hometown and help an up-and-coming team win games.
It’s consistency that the New Orleans Pelicans need to play better and make the playoffs under Stan Van Gundy next season. That’s why the team should actively be recruiting DJ Augustin and his steady play to join the team for next season.