The Official Site of DJ Augustin

Sun, Jun 7th 2009, 09:21

DJ's Blog: Summer plans and Finals thoughts

Just wanted to drop a line and let y’all know what’s going on this summer. I’m back in Texas spending time with friends and family, and it’s great to be home. I’ve been watching a lot of basketball, and man, these are some great matchups and series. Last night’s game 1 of the finals showed what the Lakers are capable of. They just played great all-around basketball. You could see it in Kobe’s eyes that he wasn’t messing around, and the rest of the team fed off that. Orlando’s a great club though, and they aren’t going to lay down. They’ll fight back and probably win a game or two, but if I had to pick, I’d go with Lakers in 6. They just have too much size, too much talent, they play great defense, and they have Kobe. Orlando’s got a lot of athleticism and some great shooters, but if the shots aren’t falling, I think the lakers are too much for them. Most people who watched game 1 will probably talk about Kobe’s 40 points and the offense, but it was the defense that won that game. Limiting Dwight to one field goal and forcing them into tough 3-point shots isn’t easy, but the Lakers made it look that way. Orlando has heart though, so look for them to bounce back. It was also great to see Jameer get back on the court and play some good basketball. It’s impressive that he was able to contribute and find a good rhythm on that stage after being out for so long. He’s going to help them, but in the end the Lakers defense will lead them to the title.

As for me, I’m back in classes at UT this summer and really enjoying it. It’s fun to be back on campus and I feel like a college student again. I even got lost going to me first class and was like 30 minutes late when I got there! I’ve got 2 classes, one online and one on campus. It’s also great to be back with my old coaches and teammates, and some of the ex-UT guys that are in the NBA are also back training, so it’s a good environment for hoops. I’m working on a lot of different parts of my game, and trying to get in great shape before reporting to camp and for the Team USA mini-camp in Vegas in July. It will be a great experience for a young player like myself to get out there and compete with the best our country has to offer. Other than that, I’ve got my basketball camp coming up in August in my home town of New Orleans, and I’m hoping to find time to squeeze in a little vacation, but who knows with my schedule.

Look out for some big things from the Bobcats next year. Not sure what type of player we are drafting, but I trust the management and know that Coach Brown will get us ready and playing the best we can. We have some good young talent that will continue to improve, and some veteran guys that will show us the way. I think Emeka will be a player to watch for. He had a good year for us, but he’s got the potential to breakout and enter that super-star level. Hopefully we can help get him there.

Alright y’all. Thanks for checking me out. Have a great summer!

DJ