The next NBA season will be a big one for San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie, who is in his second year.
Julian Champagnie did well in Summer League and showed what he could do in the California Classic. The 22-year-old player showed potential last season and was given a four-year contract.
Julian Champagnie: A Promising Prospect for the San Antonio Spurs
Julian Champagnie had a two-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and played with them for two games before he was let go. The Spurs picked him up when he was put on waivers and played him in 15 games, starting him in two of them as the season wound down.
The 6’8″ forward was able to show what he could do and how valuable he was to the team by playing 20.9 minutes per game in the last few games of the season.
Bleacher Report called Julian Champagnie a “high-end Kenrich Williams.” This is a very high compliment because Williams is like a Swiss Army knife, and this helps him win at a high level.
Last season, Champagnie made 40% of his shots from beyond the line for the San Antonio Spurs. He had an average of 11 points and four rebounds per game.
When you look at what Champagnie has done and how much his deal is worth, it’s not too far off to compare him to Williams. He will be able to play well with Victor Wembanyama and get playing time by doing the Spurs’ dirty work.
The undrafted wing has shown a lot of determination in his early career, just like Williams did when he was trying to make a name for himself, and it shows in the way he plays. Even though the wing is young and the Spurs weren’t in a position to win, he shows promise as a potential 3&D player who can do much more than his restricted role.
Since the Spurs are in a position to help their young players grow, Champagnie will have the time and space to improve more parts of his game and help the Spurs have long-term success.
