3 Summer League players to watch as Raptors start schedule
By Mike Luciano
2. Justin Champagnie
After earning a two-way contract following his dramatic fall out of the NBA Draft last year, Champagnie impressed Toronto to the point where he will likely earn a proper NBA contract at some point in the next few weeks. His effort and hustle helped make him a fan favorite.
Champagnie has already shown that he can grab rebounds and defend at an NBA level. The big obstacles standing in his way are his 3-point shooting ability and skill at creating offense for himself. We’ll see how many bells and whistles he added to his game in Las Vegas.
Will Justin Champagnie score for the Toronto Raptors?
Champagnie will likely be molded for wing work on Toronto’s oversized roster, so being a solid catch-and-shoot player is a one-way ticket to playing time. Otto Porter Jr. could be a solid veteran mentor for him if Champagnie has the shooting chops needed to impress Nurse.
After nailing four 3-pointers in the same game against the Spurs, Champagnie showed that he has solid mechanics that could be turned into a reliable weapon with enough time. If he can hand around the mid-30s in three-point accuracy, he should eventually scratch some rotation minutes out.