Tag: Charlotte Bobcats

DJ Augustin returns to Rockets, impressed by Kevin Porter Jr.’s evolution as point guard

“The way he slowed down his game and his pace, you can see that it is opening things up for him more,” DJ Augustin says of Kevin Porter Jr.’s growth as a point guard. #Rockets

After 13 years in the NBA, veteran guard DJ Augustin had called it a career. Although the man who made Houston his adopted hometown had not officially made a retirement speech or submitted paperwork to the league, Augustin was content being at home with his family.

A former first-round pick in the 2008 NBA draft by Charlotte, Augustin played portions of two seasons with the Rockets after being traded from Milwaukee in March 2021 as part of the PJ Tucker trade. He was waived by Houston in February 2022 and was claimed by the Lakers, where he played 21 games to end the 2021-22 season.

“I was done playing,” said Augustin, a point guard, as he prepared for Friday’s home game versus Detroit. “I had a few teams calling, but I was pretty much just at home with my family, being a dad. I was still working out and doing things, but for the most part, being on a team, I wasn’t trying to go anywhere.”

Only one team could get Augustin to give up “Daddy Duties” and return. “The only situation I was willing to go to was Houston,” said a smiling Augustin. “Not thinking it would happen, and one day I got the call. That is how life is sometimes. I am just happy to be back.”

That call came from Rockets general manager Rafael Stone while Houston was in the middle of a five-game road trip in late March. During his first stint in Houston, Augustin averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 assists per game, but his main objective was to help Kevin Porter Jr. transition into a starting point guard, a position he was still learning.

Before the 2021-22 season, Augustin had noticed the work Porter had put into becoming better at his new position in the offseason.

“He is just trying to put it all together,” Augustin said of Porter’s transition. “Switching positions and becoming a point guard ain’t easy. It is not something that you can just do all the time.”

During his time away from the game, Augustin noticed that Porter had finally started evolving from a natural scorer to a team leader.

“I have been watching his whole season,” Augustin said of Porter. “The way he slowed down his game and his pace. You can see that it is opening things up for him more. He knows when to use his body and control the game and be a real point guard. I am happy to see him do that, and he is growing a lot.”

Porter’s growth and maturity have been displayed over the four games that Augustin has been on the bench and in the locker room with him. He is averaging 24 points per game, including back-to-back 30-plus point games. His 33-points, four steals, and seven made 3-pointers in Friday’s victory against the Pistons put him in some elite company. The only other Rockets player to perform that feat was former NBA MVP James Harden, who did it four times in Houston.

“It is good to have DJ back, because he is a player who has played my position for a very long time, and he shows and tells me different things I may not see,” Porter said. “He has a great approach to how he sees the game and breaks it down in a way that can be easily explained. It is good to have him back.”

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Is Michael Jordan actually petty enough to skip Duke players in the draft? An investigation.

“There’s something about our blood that makes it very difficult to choose a Duke player.”

I was recently on the phone discussing the 2022 NBA Draft, and I was asked who I expected the Charlotte Hornets to select on June 23.

It didn’t take me more than a second to answer: Duke’s Mark Williams. That is who I have for the Hornets in my latest mock draft, and it’s not just simply because he fills a need in the frontcourt. Williams is an excellent player who was outstanding during March Madness.

The person who I was speaking with on the phone, however, was not at all convinced. The individual, who will remain anonymous but is incredibly well-connected around the league, brought up a point I had not considered.

Is there any chance Michael Jordan, the majority owner of the Hornets and the most notable alumni from the University of North Carolina, uses a high first-round pick on someone from his rival Blue Devils?

After the conversation, I couldn’t stop thinking about the question. As I was obsessing over it, I began my research to find out if MJ — who is famously petty and takes things personally — has any history of drafting players from his collegiate rival.

If he doesn’t, I was also curious: Who was left on the board over Jordan’s pettiness? Was this decision-making process ever costly or detrimental to his franchise? What does that mean for Mark Williams — or Duke’s AJ Griffin — on draft night?

Kemba Walker shares the advice from Michael Jordan that changed him

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker shared some of Michael Jordan’s advice to him from his time with the Charlotte Hornets.

Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Kemba Walker has a special connection with his former boss Michael Jordan, and the ubiquity of the ESPN documentary series on Jordan’s Chicago Bulls sparked some reflection by the UConn product in a short interview conducted for the team.

Drafted out of Connecticut immediately after dragging his Huskies to their third NCAA National Championship, Walker joined the Charlotte Hornets organization as their highest draft pick in the still-new Jordan era of ownership.

Don’t think that reputation he’d earned in his days at UConn made him  immune to the sort of pressure His Airness put on his teammates in “The Last Dance,” though.

Jordan’s early advice to the Bronx native was cut from the same cloth, if anything.

“MJ, the advice he always gave me was [that you] just had to bring it every night, man,” related Walker. “He always told me, ‘Don’t get comfortable.’ That’s his thing — ‘don’t get comfortable, don’t get comfortable,’ and I always heard it, too. ‘I ain’t getting comfortable; I’m keeping this job forever.'”

“Every time he’d tell me that, that was just my mentality. I’m not getting comfortable. I know who my boss is! You know? I’m not about to let you down,” he added. “He’s been very influential in my basketball career.”

Walker and Jordan may be on separate paths now, but the former Charlotte guard still looks back on his time with MJ fondly.

And while their leadership styles couldn’t be more night and day with the former Husky choosing to lead quietly by example, the same killer instinct and insatiable desire to compete is exuded by the Celtic point guard.

And Walker’s fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Snapshot: A look back at Jason Richardson, the ultimate high flyer

Jason Richardson is one of the best dunkers of all time, whether it be throwing down in-game or dunk contest jams.

When Jason Richardson leaped toward the rim, defenders were vulnerable and at his mercy. Richardson, one of the best dunkers ever, regularly put players on posters during his 13-year NBA career.

Richardson made his name in the Bay Area, showcasing his high-flying abilities with the Golden State Warriors for the first six seasons of his career.

While playing with the Warriors, Richardson flew around the court. Richardson’s combination of quickness, agility and hops molded him into an underrated player during his era. Aside from throwing down jams, Richardson could score and shoot at a solid clip.

Richardson scored 18.3 points per game and shot 35.0% from the 3-point line during his time with the Warriors. According to Basketball Reference, he ranks third all-time in Warriors history for 3-pointers made (700).

Though Richardson was talented, he was never an All-Star and only went to the playoffs four times during his career. One of those seasons was in Golden State during the 2007 postseason, the year where the “We Believe” Warriors shined.

Playing alongside Monta Ellis and Baron Davis, Richardson and the No. 8 seed Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 4-2, in the first round of the playoffs. Richardson averaged 19.5 points per game and 6.8 rebounds in that series.

The Mavericks were the top seed in the Western Conference, and they had the best record in the league. That season’s Warriors are one of five teams in league history to defeat a No. 1 seed. Golden State lost in five games against the Utah Jazz during the semifinals.

Some of the most exciting moments of Richardson’s career came during All-Star weekend, when he had all-time performances at the 2002 and 2003 slam dunk contests.

Richardson won in both years, throwing down windmills and reverse jams among others.

After playing for the Warriors, Richardson played for the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets), Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 17.1 points per game and shot 37.0% from deep during his career. Richardson scored a career-high 23.2 points during the 2005-06 season, his second-to-last season with the Warriors.

He might not end up being a Hall of Famer, but as a two-time dunk contest champ, his archive of jams and posters will serve as a reminder: Richardson is one of the ultimate high flyers in basketball history.

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