Julian Champagnie’s season has made him crucial to the Spurs’ success.
SAN ANTONIO — When San Antonio Spurs‘ Julian Champagnie is on the court, there is a strong chance that he will successfully make a three-pointer for San Antonio if a teammate passes him the ball while he is beyond the 3-point line.
And teammate De’Aaron Fox is well aware of this.
“People know that he can get hot,” he said.
The fourth-year player has had an outstanding season from beyond the arc, shooting 11-for-17. He achieved a career-high of 36 points in a game against the Knicks and scored 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting against Houston. He is enjoying one of his best shooting averages from the arc at .379%, which is the second-best of his young career.
Champagnie’s shooting ability not only disrupts the opposing defense but also provides the necessary spacing for Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and the rest of the team to operate effectively.
“He can be o-for-four, o-for-five, and a team still knows that he can shoot the ball, so just having him out there opens up lanes for us to drive,” added Fox.
Champagnie’s three-point shooting is well known, adding essential court gravity.
His effective field goal percentage is 57.3%, his two-point shooting percentage is currently a career-best at 59%, and over his last three games, he is connecting on 49% of his three-point attempts.
That’s plenty of gravity for all of his teammates to operate.
“I think make or miss, Julian has a gravity every time he steps on the court,” said Fox.
Overall, Champagnie is enjoying one of his best all-around seasons. He’s averaging a career-best 6.2 rebounds per game and became the first player in NBA history to score at least 36 points versus New York without taking a two-point shot. He set the NBA record for three-pointers in a game by an undrafted player, and set the Spurs franchise record for most threes in a game with 11 on Dec. 31 against the Knicks.
His importance to the Spurs in terms of floor spacing and defense is often understated.
When he is on the floor, in 1290 minutes, the team sees a Net Rating of +9.7 (Offensive Rating 122, Defensive Rating 112.3), a Defensive Rebounding percentage of 78.4% and when his teammates find him, he’s connecting on 87.6% Assisted Field Goal shots.
“Obviously, whenever he gets it going, it changes the game for us,” Fox said.