Justin Champagnie Carving Out a Role for Himself

Justin Champagnie wasn’t a rotation player early on in his young career.

With all the injuries dealt to the Wizards this season, though, the third-year forward out of Pitt has been cast into the rotation. In the four games he has started, he has averaged 16.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 steals. Still only 23 years old, he can become a rotational piece for this young team that’s looking to figure out what their future looks like.

Champagnie’s Last Four Games:

In the first start of the season, he came up big, scoring a career-high 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds along the way in the big win against the Denver Nuggets.

In the game against the defending champion Boston Celtics, Champagnie grabbed 12 rebounds, a career-high. Scoring 13 points that same game, he notched his first career double-double. His defense, rebounding, off-ball movement, and efficiency have been big factors in his recent play, according to Coach Brian Keefe:

https://twitter.com/WizardsLead/status/1865965981912224240

Champagnie also set a career-high with five steals against the Memphis Grizzlies. Having set career highs in three of his four starts of the season, Champagnie can build on this momentum and be a spark on a Wizrds’ roster in dire need of one.

Standing at 6’6′, Champagnie has solid size for a forward, but his rebounding has been a pleasant surprise. For the last few seasons, the Wizards were near the bottom of the league in rebounding. This season, Washington ranks 19th in total rebounds per game. Champagnie is averaging 6.4 rebounds, which is good for the second-highest on the team. His activity shows that he can make an impact without looking to score the ball.

Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert, and Kyshawn George, who have been injured these last few games, all play the forward spots. Because of that, it has been hard for Champagnie to get minutes when the roster is fully healthy. Kuzma and Kispert will likely be dealt to a new team at some point in the season. This will help give Champagnie more chances to be a full-time rotational player, which he has more than earned.