Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Champagnie May Not Be at 100% But He's Ready to Prove He Belongs with the Raptors
With one preseason game to go and an NBA contract on the line, Justin Champagnie knows it's go-time.
It's been a summer marred by injuries for the 21-year-old Toronto Raptors forward who entered training camp expected to be a shoo-in for the regular season roster. A nagging hip injury that hasn't fully healed and some impressive play from his competition on non-guaranteed contracts has changed that picture and now Champagnie may be on the outside looking in.
Despite his situation, Champagnie remains stoic these days, saying the right things, and carrying himself without any signs of concern. He's well aware of where he stands but when he speaks it's as if he's been around for years.
"For me, it’s just going out there and making my presence be felt," he said Wednesday after practice. "Just go out there and play my role still, rebound, play defense, hit open shots if they come to me. Just be a little bit more aggressive."
Things, however, didn't exactly go that way in Champagnie's lone preseason outing on Sunday. He was pressing a little when he entered late in the second half, forcing a couple of drives, and playing outside his comfort zone.
"I sensed some urgency from Justin," said Raptors coach Nick Nurse. “I thought he played pretty hard the other day. He didn’t get much done, but I thought at least he kind of went for it from a standpoint of at least he tried to mix it up and do his thing, get on the glass."
That's Champagnie's calling card. He's not a hyper-athletic and versatile defender like Josh Jackson, he doesn't have the size or skill moves of D.J. Wilson, nor the shooting of Gabe Brown. Instead, he has a nose for the ball, a knack for rebounding, and a willingness to do the dirty things.
"The game is not always about scoring. We got guys that get paid a lot of money to go out there and score," he said. "My job is to just go out there, rebound, be energy, be that dog they need me to be."
If Toronto does decide to cut bait with Champagnie, Jackson would appear to be the favorite of the group to stick around. Unlike Champagnie, a 2021 undrafted prospect with some physical limitations, Jackson was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 draft and is equipped with all the gifts you could possibly want in a prospect. The issue for him, though, is his offense has never quite developed as hoped and a handful of minor off-the-court issues have marred his first five seasons in the league.
“He’s done a good job as far as work ethic to get in here every day. He can do a lot of extra work," Nurse said of Jackson. "He’s been around. He’s a pro. It took him a little while to make an impact. We’ve figured out how to put him in some situations, and he’s taken advantage of that.”
Nurse hasn't put together his game plan for Friday's finale against the Boston Celtics yet. He said the starters will get some playing time unlike last season's preseason finale, but there should be an opportunity to get another look at Champagnie and Jackson as they vie for the final spot.
"We’ll see how it all shakes out," Nurse said. "I think there are still a lot of questions to be answered.”
Further Reading
Nick Nurse reveals Scottie Barnes has been playing 'catch-up' after offseason injury
Raptors see new confidence in Dalano Banton: Looks like he's 'ready to crack the rotation'
Raptors not concerned about preseason shooting woes following loss to Bulls
