3 hot takeaways after Raptors destroy Jazz in preseason opener
By Mike Luciano
2. Justin Champagnie might not make the final roster.
Champagnie could not make his much anticipated preseason debut, as he is still suffering from an injury. With Dalano Banton likely taking up one of Toronto’s two open roster spots, Champagnie will compete with DJ Wilson and Josh Jackson for that final vacancy.
After the Utah game, those latter two proved that they are just as capable of winning that final spot. Jackson put up 10 points in 15 minutes while showing some serious effort on the defensive side of the ball. Wilson followed his fellow former first-round pick with seven points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Raptors: Justin Champagnie must compete with Josh Jackson, DJ Wilson.
Champagnie brings familiarity with the scheme and solid offensive rebounding, but Nick Nurse could easily decide that Jackson’s scoring pop or Wilson’s quality defense will be more important for the 2022-23 squad. Champagnie may still be the favorite, but his grip on that role is tenuous.
If Champagnie returns to full health and proves that he can be more effective than either of them, those questioned will be unequivocally shut down. Until we see that happen, however, Champagnie faces a longer road to the promised land of a rotation spot than initially believed.