Raptors: 3 players who must step up without Chris Boucher
By Mike Luciano
2. Justin Champagnie
While Dalano Banton had a very impressive debut, and David Johnson looked decent in limited action, Champagnie, who signed a two-way deal after going undrafted, may have had the most surprisingly impressive night of any rookie. While he came into tonight as a 905 project, he made a case for rotation time.
Champagnie, a 6-6 wing who played power forward in college, recorded a double-double by scoring 17 points and hauling in 10 rebounds, showing that he can get boards despite his lack of tremendous height thanks to his motor, tenacity, and ability to leap. Might he earn a role with the NBA team this season?
In the Raptors' first preseason game, former Pitt standout Justin Champagnie came off the bench for 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals in 22 minutes
— Craig Meyer (@ByCraigMeyer) October 5, 2021
Jeff Capel told us last week how impressed Toronto's staff already was with Champagnie
Justin Champagnie could sneak into the Toronto Raptors rotation.
Champagnie was named a first-team All-ACC performer last year at Pitt, while the No. 4 pick in Barnes was only a third-team selection. While he will also need to get some tutelage from Nurse on how to become a better shooter in the league, his blend of athleticism and physicality inside for his size can provide some matchup worries.
While we shouldn’t read too much into how minutes were allocated, the fact Champagnie played 22 minutes indicates Nurse really wanted a good look at how he was able to hold up against the Philadelphia bench. After such an impressive performance, he could wiggle his way into a rotation role by the end of the month.