Julian Champagnie went from waiver pick-up to reliable starter in a matter of years. How can he continue to excel for San Antonio?
One of the biggest unsung heroes in the Spurs' rise from mediocrity to the summit of the NBA that they were so accustomed to for nearly two decades was Julian Champagnie.
The former waiver pick-up for San Antonio gradually went bench option in his first few seasons to primary starter last year.
Champagnie appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Spurs and got the starting nod in 68 of those matchups, which was the most in his four-year career.
In that stretch, he posted averages of 11 points and six rebounds while making a strong case for the team's best three-point shooter. Champagnie was a sniper from beyond the arc draining nearly 40 percent of three-pointers.
He continued to be a spark plug throughout the playoffs, as he the court as a starter in all of San Antonio's postseason outings.
The greatest moment of this debut run was Game 7 against the defending champion Thunder, where Champagnie torched Oklahoma City for 20 points off six-made threes in the decisive clash.
Not many teams can tout the fact that their power forward is a deep-range threat, but Champagnie is not like most power forwards. In fact, he is most experienced at the small forward position.
However, the lineup that San Antonio found its great success in saw the need for him to fill that slot in the front court.
And what makes Champagnie may lack in size and inside game, he more than makes up for in his hot-hand and ability to stretch the court.
It also helps the Spurs to have a truly generational center in Victor Wembanyama, who can dominate the paint all on his own, which limits the pressure to load up with more traditional post players around him.
That being said, San Antonio did run into some issues with its offensive scheme in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. Wembanyama was stifled and the knowledge that he was the main inside target allowed the Knicks to clamp down on the perimeter.
Champagnie is assuredly coming back to San Antonio next season, with the Spurs eliminating any doubts by delivering a hefty three-year, $45 million extension earlier this offseason.
With an already extraordinary turnaround during his time in San Antonio, how can Champagnie contribute even more to the Spurs?
The answer is honestly to not change what has been working. Although more interior offense could be a tremendous benefit, San Antonio brought in veteran Tobias Harris from Detroit to fill in the gaps.
It remains to be seen if that will affect Champagnie's spot in the lineup, but his place at the core of the Spurs could not be more solid.
FINAL GRADE: A, 2026 OUTLOOK: Reliable Starter, Perimeter Threat
