Things are moving in the right direction for the Spurs, and Julian Champagnie is right in the middle of it.
The fifth-year forward has settled into a bench role and is making it count, averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting 44% overall and a scorching 43% from three. That kind of production has put him on the radar as a sleeper Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Champagnie was a key part of San Antonio’s starting group during the playoffs, when his ability to stretch the floor helped the Spurs get off to strong starts and played a major role in their run to the NBA Finals. But Dylan Harper changed the equation. He was a force off the bench as a rookie, becoming a dependable shot-creator in that role, and that pushed Mitch Johnson to insert him into the starting lineup this season.
That decision sent Champagnie to the second unit, and he has handled it well. Rather than fading into the background, he has remained one of the Spurs’ most useful offensive pieces.
His shooting is still one of San Antonio’s biggest weapons. Champagnie has been an immediate lift off the bench, using his gravity to create room for drivers like Harper, Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and others.
He’s also doing more than camping out behind the arc. He’s moving all over the floor, setting screens for teammates and using them to free himself up for efficient looks.
The results have shown up in some big outings. A few weeks ago, he lit up the Sacramento Kings for 26 points and knocked down eight of his 13 attempts from deep. Overall, he’s already had five games with at least three made threes.
That kind of instant offense makes him one of the league’s most valuable sixth men. If the Spurs’ starting five comes out flat, Mitch Johnson can lean on Champagnie’s shooting to steady the offense and get things back on track.
His role also fits into a broader Spurs pattern. Last season, the team had to adjust to make room for its young talent, which led Harrison Barnes to move from the starting lineup to the bench.
He accepted it. Keldon Johnson, who averaged 20 as a starter in 2022-23, has spent years coming off the bench and was rewarded with the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Champagnie is following a similar path. Harper’s playoff run made it clear he belonged in the starting five, and that bumped Jules into a reserve role. Like Johnson before him, he has embraced it and stayed important.
It’s another example of the Spurs’ unselfish culture, where players are willing to sacrifice roles so the team can function at its best. Champagnie has done that at a high level, and that’s why he’s in the conversation for the award.
In Other News...
Wembanyama Just Gave Spurs Fans Another Unreal Moment To Debate
Victor Wembanyama keeps finding new ways to make the ordinary look absurd, and his latest highlight came in the third quarter against the Bulls. The Spurs big man launched into a two-hand dunk from the free-throw line, the kind of play that instantly turns a regular night into another entry in the growing Wembanyama highlight reel.
It also came in the middle of a game where he was already stuffing the stat sheet, with San Antonio ahead in the fourth quarter and Wembanyama sitting on 32 points, eight rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Given the way he has been playing all season, with elite production on both ends and a shooting touch to match, the only real debate left is how many more moments like this he can still create before the league runs out of ways to react. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A DeAaron Fox Problem They Cant Ignore
DeAaron Fox has been one of the Spurs most important creators since arriving from Sacramento, and the ball is in his hands more often than ever. He still leads San Antonio in assists, which speaks to how much the offense has leaned on him to organize possessions and get others involved, but the scoring punch that once made him such a difficult cover has not traveled with him.
Fox is averaging 13.9 points per game this season, a steep drop from the level he showed when the Spurs acquired him. The bigger concern is not just the number itself, but the way it has come about: he looks less aggressive hunting his own shot, and that shift has put his offensive role under the microscope while also raising questions about how the league will view his trade value if this version of him sticks around. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Hot Start Still Leaves One Big Tobias Harris Question
Nine straight wins have given the Spurs plenty to like early, but the one major piece they have not yet been able to factor in is Tobias Harris. His absence has left San Antonio to keep sorting through a rotation that is already working, even as the veteran forwards expected return looms as a potential boost in size and shooting.
Harris is the kind of addition that can change the shape of a lineup without forcing the Spurs to tear up what has gotten them off to such a strong start. The open question is where he fits once he is available, since his role could be determined by the coachs decisions and could land anywhere from the starting five to a more defined bench role. [Read more 🡒]