2023-24 Spurs Player Reviews: Julian Champagnie

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San Antonio may have their hands on another three-and-D wing.

Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2023-24 player reviews! The series will look at the 15 players who finished the season with the San Antonio Spurs on guaranteed contracts (so no two-way players because we saw so little of them this year, and no Doug McDermott). Enjoy!

Julian Champagnie

2023-24 stats: 74 games, 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 36.5 3FG%

Contract Status: 2 years, $3 million per (non-guaranteed)

Age: 22

Before the 2023-24 NBA season, San Antonio Spurs fans theorized what the best starting lineup would be surrounding Victor Wembanyama. Should Jeremy Sochan play point guard? Is Keldon Johnson better suited as a sixth man? The wings were a question for most of the offseason. Julian Champagnie’s name did not come up in those conversations, despite finishing the ‘22-’23 season on a hot streak. Yet, the second-year wing started 59 games for the Spurs this year, and was a big reason why they found success in the second half of the season.

When Wembanyama was moved to center and Keldon Johnson went to the bench, Champagnie stepped into the starting lineup. He provided San Antonio a needed boost to their perimeter defense and three-point shooting. Champagnie hit 36.5% of his threes on 3.7 attempts a game. He was one of the Spurs more reliable shooters, outside of a rough stretch in February when Champagnie hit just 24.4% of his threes. He fit perfectly into the starting lineup as a three-and-D role player who can also attack closeouts.

Champagnie’s improvements on the defensive end were perhaps the biggest development in his game. He’s a good athlete and has a solid frame at 6-foot-8, 220 pounds. Champagnie could stick with ball-handlers and even send a few of their shots back with blocks from time to time. His length and athleticism really bothered opposing players on the wing. Besides Wembanyama, you could argue that Champagnie was one of the Spurs most impactful defenders. Champagnie exceeded all expectations this season by developing into a true three-and-D wing.

Looking forward

Whether or not Champagnie is a starter long-term with the Spurs remains to be seen, but he’s played well enough to earn a rotation spot next season. Look around the NBA and you’ll see teams prioritizing big wings who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend. Champagnie fits that mold. He’s not going to be a player that is called upon as the focal point of the offense (in fact, Gregg Popovich told him to not be “Kobe” in the starting five) but he has the makings of a strong role player.

The Spurs need all of the quality defenders they can get after finishing 22nd in defensive rating, despite having a Defensive Player of the Year candidate on the team. Sochan and Champagnie are the only plus wing defenders they have on the roster right now. Even if Champagnie isn’t starting, his number should be called as a defensive wing who can knock down shots off the bench.

If San Antonio isn’t able to find a veteran wing, or high upside rookie they want to plug into the starting lineup, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Champagnie as a starter next season. With a full summer to get shooting reps in and another year of comfortability with the NBA game, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Champagnie’s three-point shooting percentages reach the high-30s to low-40s. A 6-foot-8 defensive wing who can shoot around 40% from deep is a highly valued asset in the modern NBA.

Champagnie’s contract for the next two seasons in non-guaranteed for $3 million. After that Champagnie has a club-option for the 2026-27 season. A player of Champagnie’s skillset is a bargain on that contract. It seems like a no-brainer to bring the wing back at that price point next season. If Champagnie continues this upward trajectory, the Spurs could have themselves a nice piece for cheap as they try to contend in the coming seasons.