DJ Augustin will be the best point guard from the 2008 NBA Draft | MAD BALLIN'

Notice I didn't say player, or guard. I think Derrick Rose will be the better and more productive player, but if you want a point guard to run your team, DJ Augustin is the man, bar none.

Firstly, the little man is pass-first. Augustin intuitively understands the rhythm of an offense. He uses his dribbling ability to set up his passes and shots, and knows where the passes will as the play develops. It's a rare gift, even for a point guard.

Secondly, Augustin is a smart shooter. Sure, he's a good shooter (rookie field goal, three-point and free throw percentages of 43.8, 36.2, 88.6%) but when you look into his in-depth stats (courtesy of 82games.com), you realize how intelligent the kid is with his shot selection.

Even on video, you can see the way DJ Augustin uses timing and leverage to get his inside shots off, but his having a .528 inside FG% is wild. This is not only wicked for his size (generously listed at 6-0), but also superior to much larger players such as Dirk Nowitzki (.467) and fellow rookie Michael Beasley (.508).

In effect, with his impeccable ball-handling, passing, shooting and feel for the game, what the Charlotte Bobcats have in DJ Augustin is a poor man's Chris Paul (whose .667 inside shooting percentage is off the charts). If I were Michael Jordan, I would be thinking of ways to build around the point guard. And it's no wonder Augustin is playing significant minutes (almost 29 per game) and producing (12.6 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.1 rpg) under notorious rookie-hater Larry Brown.

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