The Spurs may have shuffled Julian Champagnie out of the starting five, but his footprint on the offense hasn’t budged.
Through San Antonio’s first three games, Champagnie has given the team a steady scoring punch off the bench, averaging 8.7 points per game while staying locked in as one of the NBA’s better shooters from deep. He has hit seven of his 18 three-point attempts so far, keeping the same rhythm he showed last season.
That production has mattered because the Spurs haven’t exactly come out firing as a group. They’ve taken plenty of threes - tied for 11th in three-point attempts - but the shots haven’t fallen at a strong clip. San Antonio is shooting just 31.9% from beyond the arc, a number that lands in the bottom half of the league.
Champagnie has been the exception. When he’s on the floor, he has been the most dependable perimeter threat on the roster, spacing the court and punishing defenses that lose track of him.
That was on display Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks, when he drilled two threes that helped the Spurs keep their lead and finish the game in the fourth quarter. Even in a reserve role, he’s still delivering in the moments that matter.
His value doesn’t stop with the shots he makes, either. Because defenders have to respect him at the arc, his presence alone changes how the floor looks for everyone else. Harper, Castle, Keldon Johnson, and others have found more room to work with Champagnie parked on the perimeter, creating cleaner paths to the basket and more chances to score in the paint.
For a Spurs offense still trying to find its footing after dropping its first two games, Champagnie’s spacing has become a real stabilizer. Even with a new role, he remains one of the most important pieces of the scoring puzzle.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Tough Decision Behind Wembanyama
The Spurs are still sorting through the early-season edges of their rotation, and the center minutes behind Victor Wembanyama are already drawing attention after two home losses in the first three games. Mitch Johnson singled out rookie Tarris Reed Jr. for the energy and defense he brought against Dallas, a useful sign for a team trying to find steadier footing when Wembanyama rests.
Luke Kornet entered the season looking like part of that backup equation, but Reeds early showing gives San Antonio a different kind of option to consider. If the Spurs want more resistance and activity in those non-Wembanyama stretches, the frontcourt mix may not stay fixed for long, and that is the sort of decision that can shape not just a game, but the rhythm of an entire rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Upgrade Around Wembanyama
Injuries to Anthony Edwards and Jalen Williams have turned the Spurs roster-building conversations into something more immediate, and it has them looking at ways to sharpen the group around Victor Wembanyama. The appeal is obvious: San Antonio needs more defense and more dependable shooting, and the kind of upgrades that once felt like long-shot ideas suddenly feel more plausible when the market shifts.
Two names that surface in those discussions are PJ Washington and Royce ONeale, each offering a different fit for what the Spurs are trying to build. Washington would bring frontcourt versatility, while ONeale would add another wing who can defend and space the floor, but neither idea is simple, and any move would still depend on player availability and approvals before it goes anywhere. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A New Frost Bank Center Feel Players Are Talking About
The Frost Bank Center has a different look these days, and it is the kind of arena tweak players tend to notice right away. San Antonio has installed a new lighting system that puts more emphasis on the court while dimming the seating areas, bringing the building in line with what many other NBA venues already do.
Luke Kornet has already picked up on the change and talked about how it alters the atmosphere inside the building, giving games a sharper focus once the lights go down. Coach Mitch Johnson, meanwhile, has not made much of the adjustment himself, which only adds to the sense that this is one of those subtle arena changes that matters more to the people on the floor than the people running the team. [Read more 🡒]