5 Beyond Wemby: Spurs' Julian Champagnie 'Eased In', Primed for Breakout Year

After playing just 15 games for the Spurs last season, Julian Champagnie proved why he could be a valuable spark plug for the young team for years to come, and his mindset is only further proof of why he's poised for a breakout season.

JUNE 29 — The night of his 22nd birthday, San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie went out to dinner. 

While it was an obvious special occasion for the rising second-year, the meal wasn't just celebrating another year of life for Champagnie. It was also celebrating four more in San Antonio, on his first full NBA contract worth millions. 

"It was kind of a give-and-go," Champagnie said the next day at Summer League practice. "It was my birthday, but [it was also because] of my contract. That just gives me motivation."

Motivation aside, signing the contract had an ambivalent effect on Champagnie. On one hand, he didn't have to worry about earning his spot on the Spurs' roster, but on the other, the last thing he wanted was to make San Antonio regret its decision. 

That didn't matter to him, however. He knew exactly what he was planning to do.

"I'm just going to go with the flow," Champagnie said of the Spurs' upcoming summer schedule. "For me, it's about [taking] pride in all of my work. I want to prove that I'm a good asset to a team. 

Added Champagnie: "[Signing] a contract is a relief, but the same rules apply. I'm going to go out and play the right way."

Safe to say, the 22-year-old did exactly that. Not only did Champagnie finish in the top five of all Summer League participants in both rebounding and assist totals, but he also averaged 14 points and posted multiple 30-point outings, proving his sky-high upside in the process. 

Julian Champagnie Full Game stats in the Summer League California Classic:

30 Points
8 Rebounds
2 Assist
4 Steals
0 Turnovers

🍾🥂 pic.twitter.com/A3ZGw3WEZ3

— SpursNationSA (@SpursNation_SA) July 4, 2023

To put it shortly, Julian Champagnie proved why he is a prime candidate for a breakout season. He could even find himself in the rising stars challenge if he can crack the Spurs' rotation throughly in the beginning of the season, which he's well on his way to doing.

Between his impressive behind-the-arc shooting ability and his strong defensive talent, Champagnie is a perfect example of the Gregg Popovich model. He may have only played 15 games for the Spurs last season, but he learned more from the Hall-of-Fame coach in that time frame than other players elsewhere did in a full season.

And his scenery only made things better.

"All of the guys in the locker room are young," Champagnie said. "That's definitely the best part. They've been really good pulling me along when I don't know certain things, and they've been really good friends. That's what's helped me to ease in really quickly."

Easing in quickly is one thing, however. Easing in after only 15 games? That's unheard of. But then again, Champagnie's career trajectory could be enough to put him among some of the NBA's best young stars, but he will need to clean some things up.

"I want to work on my ball handling," Champagnie said, discussing his goals for this season. "I want to be more comfortable playing on the ball. Obviously I'm okay off the the ball, but I also want to tighten up my defense and my shot mechanics. All of the maintenance stuff."

Popovich wasn't shy about his praise for Champagnie last season. He commended the rookie not only for what he brought on the court, but also for his mindset, which he referred to as "wise beyond his years." 

That's entirely a good thing, especially given the fact that San Antonio's roster is among the youngest in the league. Champagnie can emerge as a leader in the locker room for his teammates, but also help team chemistry and overall "buy-in". 

"As I continue to be around [Pop], I'll get to see more sides of him," Champagnie said. "But I definitely got a good glimpse of him last season, and I like it ... I love it, actually. I think I fit in with what he wants to do and I like how he coaches." 

So, with on-court goals set, team chemistry addressed and Champagnie "eased in," there's only one more big factor for the second-year forward to consider: Victor Wembanyama.

As Wembanyama enters his first season in the NBA, he's going to deal with expectations, targeting and negativity like no other player has seen before — besides LeBron James, of course. The only issue is that he's still just 19 years old, and that kind of pressure isn't easy to deal with. 

But that's where Champagnie comes in. 

"Obviously, [Victor] is going to come into the league with a big target on his back," Champagnie said. "I'm looking to be a guy that can relieve some of that pressure for him ... that's how I fit in." 

Boom. Box checked. At least the plan for the box. Executing and successfully helping Wembanyama adjust is the next step, but that's nothing that can be addressed yet. For now, Champagnie is focused on improving and preparing for the first year of his new contract in San Antonio. 

And if all goes well, he could be one of the Spurs' best options besides Wembanyama.

---

You can follow Matt Guzman on Twitter and Instagram.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.

Want even more San Antonio Spurs news? Check out the Si.com team page here.