Inside The Wizards

Wizards' Justin Champagnie Has Career Game vs. Celtics

Justin Champagnie is playing his best basketball for the Washington Wizards.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 15, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) shoots the ball as Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) defends in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) shoots the ball as Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) defends in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Wizards needed a boost from somewhere new after a number of wings went down with injuries early in December, and they have gotten that in two-way player Justin Champagnie.

Champagnie, 23, has started in each of the Wizards' last four games, and he had his best performance to date against the Boston Celtics in Sunday night's loss.

Champagnie scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for his first career double-double in four NBA seasons.

Champagnie has been a bright spot for the Wizards with their struggles this season, proving that he deserves to be in the rotation for the foreseeable future.

It remains to be seen what will become of Champagnie when the likes of Kyle Kuzma, Corey Kispert and Kyshawn George return from their stint on the injury report, but the Wizards will have a tough time taking him off the floor.

The Wizards are in a position where they can welcome players like Champagnie with open arms as they hope to find some source of positivity through a difficult season. They have the bandwidth to give players like him playing time in hopes of growing into a contract with the team and a long career thereafter.

If Champagnie can continue to play like he did against the Celtics, the Wizards will have no choice but to find ways to get him on the floor. He gives them a spark and an energy that not many other players, if any, can provide, and that makes him incredibly valuable for the rest of the season for the Wizards.

Champagnie and the Wizards will return to the court on Thursday when they take on the division rival Charlotte Hornets at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside Capital One Arena.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/Washington Wizards News