Justin Champagnie could undoubtedly be described as a young NBA journeyman. He is on his third team in just his fourth NBA season. However, his level of play since signing a four-year deal could have the Wizards thinking he is more than just a rebuilding roster piece. They may decide to keep him around even after the team finds its footing.
The Wizards Should Keep Justin Champagnie After Rebuild
Champagnie, at 23, fits well on the youngest roster in the league. He has been one of the more solid contributors to the Wizards’ little success this season. His season stats may not jump off the stat sheet, but he’s taken a jump this year. It’s worth looking at when considering his future on the young roster. While he’s got a good amount of time remaining on his contract, the front office may already be weighing his future worth on the roster.
Champagnie’s Improvements
Champagnie was undrafted coming out of Pittsburgh in 2021. After a season and a half with the Raptors and a two-game stint with the Celtics, he came into Washington at the perfect time, ushering in the complete roster overhaul. This season, Champagnie has shown that he can be a solid contributor for years to come.
Averaging about 20 minutes a game, with career highs of 7.7 points and five rebounds, he’s also shooting his best splits from the field (49%) and three (38.3%) in his career. While he’s bounced around the rotation from a deeper bench player to starter, he’s made the most of every opportunity.
Champagnie has set a single-game career-high in just about every single statistical category this season. Here are just a few: points (31), rebounds (14), assists (4), steals (5), and blocks (3). He may be benefiting from some of the roster’s injuries, but his contributions have matched some of the guys playing ahead of him.
Outplaying Others
Champagnie may have signed a deal signaling his spot on the roster, but if he keeps up the recent play, his rotational minutes will only continue to grow. He needs to take further advantage.
Currently, he’s shooting better than Jordan Poole, has one of the lowest assist/turnover ratios on the team (1.0), and has a better defensive rating (115.4) than Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. He has shown his worth for sure, and the numbers prove it. It’s all going to come down to making consistency a priority and showing out every night.
Consistency has been a problem for the entire roster this season. While the roster is young, consistency is a necessary piece for a team wanting to compete and contend. Sarr has been taking steps towards this, and Kyshawn George has been building on a rocky start. Champagnie doesn’t have the luxury of growing the way the franchise expects the rookies to. He’ll need to figure it out soon, along with the rest of the roster. With the offseason coming up, the team will grow as both players and teammates and hopefully fix the inconsistent nature.
The Last Word
Justin Champagnie, along with the rest of the young guys, should receive even more minutes as the season heads into April. While he might not be considered untouchable, Champagnie should be at least comfortable in Washington for the foreseeable future. He’s proven he a be a solid contributor on a roster full of potential. He’s carved himself a piece of the rotation and will try to soak up some more minutes headed into what should be an eventful offseason.
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