James, Roger in waiting
Ever heard of the NBA Development League? James Augustine and Roger Powell Jr. certainly have.
Augustine, who graduated from Lincoln-Way Central High School, and Joliet Township grad Powell, of course, were teammates at the University of Illinois when the Illini were among the best college basketball outfits in the nation.
Their goal was to play in the NBA, and they had every reason to believe it would happen.
The Orlando Magic selected Augustine in the second round of last year's draft. Powell was not drafted but then signed a free-agent agent contract with the Utah Jazz.
Early on in this regular season, the two were in similar situations. Under current NBA rules, a team must have between one and three inactive players for each game, and more often than not, the pair were among the inactives for their respective teams. Things began to change in early January, however.
Enter the D-League.
The Magic, who previously had rejected the idea of sending one of their players to the D-League, made the 6-foot-10 Augustine, who runs the floor so well, their test case when they sent him to the Anaheim Arsenal on Jan. 10. He played well there for a couple of weeks -- putting up good scoring and rebounding numbers -- and got the recall from the Magic on Jan. 25. He still is not playing much, but at least he is in the NBA.
In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel while he was with the Arsenal, Augustine said, "At first I was kind of down about having to leave. It's like that for me with change, but I'm getting adjusted to it. I look at it now as an opportunity to play. It's all about showing you can play."
Mission accomplished.
Utah, meanwhile, had waived Powell on Jan. 4 after he appeared in all of three NBA games. He signed Jan. 19 with the Arkansas RimRockers of the D-League and has been on fire since.
In fact, he is the reigning D-League Performer of the Week. He led the RimRockers in scoring in all of their three games last week, averaging 27.0 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 54.5 percent (30-of-55).
Since joining the RimRockers, the 6-6 Powell has averaged 24.9 points and 7.5 rebounds in eight games. His 46-point outburst Feb. 2 against Fort Worth stands as the league's single-game high for the season.
I have always found the NBA a frustrating science from the standpoint of determining exactly who fits and who does not fit on a given team's roster.
OK, so Powell, an ordained minister, is undersized for the position he plays based on his skills. But with the way he scored last season in the CBA, and with the way he is tearing up the D-League, you do have to wonder what it will take for him to get a legitimate shot in the NBA.
My guess is his time -- and Augustine's -- will come. Both of our area's former Illini have too much to offer for their dreams to go unfulfilled.
Dick Goss can be reached at dgoss@scn1.com
