Former 76ers Two-Way Player Leads Spurs in Scoring vs Mavericks

Julian Champagnie had an impressive opener with the Spurs on Thursday night.

Oct 9, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie (30) shoots in the first half against the Orlando Magic at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

For the San Antonio Spurs season opener against the Dallas Mavericks, former Philadelphia 76ers undrafted prospect Julian Champangie picked up the start alongside Victor Wembanyama and the newly acquired veteran guard Chris Paul.

While it wasn’t Champagnie’s first go-round in the Spurs’ starting lineup, it was an important moment for the former undrafted player, as the Spurs are keeping him in the mix while they hope to begin turning around their rebuild this season.

Champagnie checked in for 27 minutes in Thursday’s season-opener. He made 58 percent of his shots from the field and knocked down four of his eight attempts from three. Champagnie finished the game with 18 points in the scoring department. He teased a double-double with seven rebounds and also racked up three assists, two blocks, and one steal.

The Spurs started the year off on a bad note Thursday night. Taking on the defending Western Conference Champions in Dallas, the Mavericks simply had it going once again as they welcomed Klay Thompson to their star-studded lineup. As a result, the Mavericks put San Antonio away with a 120-109 win.

For the Spurs, they have a lot of work to do, but they are still a Western Conference team on the comeup.

And while Champagnie is unlikely to outscore his superstar teammate Wembanyama every night, the performance was a good stepping stone in year three for the young forward.

Last year, Champagnie appeared in 74 games for the Spurs, collecting 59 starts. He produced seven points per game on 41 percent shooting from the field.

Jul 16, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Justin Lewis (34) defends against an inbounds pass by Philadelphia 76ers guard Julian Champagnie (5) during an NBA Summer League game at Cox Pavillion. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Before landing in San Antonio during the 2022-2023 season, Champagnie started his career off with the Sixers. He appeared in just two games, with his playing time occurring during garbage time. Most of Champagnie’s run with the Sixers involved stints in the G League with the Delaware Blue Coats.

The 2024-2025 NBA season is shaping up to be an exciting one for the former St. John’s star as he continues to hold a role playing alongside one of the NBA’s most exciting stars in Wembanyama, along with one of the best point guards of this era in Paul.