5 Free Agents the Golden State Warriors Must Avoid

D.J. Augustin

May 26, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers point guard D.J. Augustin (14) stands on the free throw line against the Miami Heat in game three of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Heat won 114-96. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Jarrett Jack’s bronze finish this year’s Sixth Man of the Year award could very well earn him a lucrative deal this summer. That would leave the Warriors in need of a backup point guard to manage the team’s high-paced offense for 10-15 minutes per game while Stephen Curry sits (and possibly more if Curry suffers another ankle injury). Even with this season’s relatively shallow crop of available point guards, the Warriors can probably do better than D.J. Augustin.

Augustin paid his dues for four years as starter with the Charlotte Bobcats, a thankless job that inevitably yielded him a back-up role on another team (the Indiana Pacers). Indiana should have been a nice fit for Augustin – their offense isn’t particularly complicated and George Hill has yet to evolve into top-tier point guard (until this year, he averaged less than 30 minutes per game).

Unfortunately, Augustin has failed to take advantage of his prominent role on a legitimate contender. Analysts frequently comment on his performance as a disadvantage for the Pacers – he averaged only 10.5 points on 35 percent shooting per 36 minutes during the regular season, according to basketball-reference.com.

Had Augustin performed even slightly better during the Eastern Conference Finals, I might say it would be worth it for the Warriors to take a flyer on the former University of Texas point guard. Unfortunately, Augustin has been disappointment, averaging only 2.5 points and 0.7 assists in almost 15 minutes of play per game.