LOS ANGELES – If you are a basketball player and looking to improve your shooting form, I recommend taking a close look at D.J. Augustin and his sweet shooting stroke. Augustin, who jumped back into the Magic’s starting lineup following the Elfrid Payton trade in early February, has impeccable mechanics on his jump shot.
So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Augustin is one of the best 3-point shooting point guards in the league. He’s been so good from beyond the arc that over the last nine games he ranks first in the NBA in 3-point percentage among players who have taken at least 40 shots from long distance.
During this recent stretch, Augustin has shot 23-of-41 (56.1 percent) from 3-point range. He’s been particularly automatic from above the break, where 22 of his made threes have come from. For the season, Augustin is shooting 42.6 percent on the long-ball, which is his second best mark of his career. The last time he shot this well was in his rookie season with the Charlotte Bobcats when he buried 43.9 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Augustin is an extremely good spot-up shooter. In fact, he has one of the best spot-up effective field goal percentages (67.9 percent) in the NBA. The only point guards with better EFGs this season are Chris Paul and Jose Calderon. However, Augustin has taken more spot-up jumpers than both Paul and Calderon combined.
On occasion, Augustin will shake his defender, usually with a nifty crossover dribble, and pull-up from downtown. He made two threes in this fashion during Monday’s game in Utah.
For a team to be successful in the NBA today, it’s essential for the starting point guard to be a reliable 3-point shooter. Stephen Curry, obviously, is head and shoulders above the competition in this category. Yet, as crazy as it sounds, Augustin has a better 3-point percentage than Curry so far this season.
Check out the Magic veteran in action:
