Player Recap: Justin Champagnie

Justin Champagnie was a late addition to the Skyforce this season, but his impact was felt on-and-off the court in Sioux Falls. The team doesn't make a deep playoff run without him.

As the regular season progressed, the Skyforce would embody his toughness, which helped push a talented team over the edge.

Champagnie came to Sioux Falls to bet on himself, like many players trying to get another crack at the NBA, and was rewarded with an NBA Call-Up once the G League season was completed with the Boston Celtics.

“It gives you an opportunity to just focus on just straight basketball. So that was a blessing in disguise,” Champagnie said of his time in Sioux Falls.

After spending parts of two seasons on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors, the Brooklyn, NY native joined the Skyforce in early January. After a few games to get acclimated, JC showed his ability to take games over in any role, whether it was a featured scoring option, starter, or off the bench.

"He was a big part of the core that preach to our expectations and standards of basketball that we wanted to play,” Skyforce head coach Kasib Powell said. "He had one of the toughest roles to take on, but he did it at an extremely high level, and (being able to play in different roles) is part of what NBA teams are looking for."

In a four-game stretch from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, Champagnie had stat lines of 20 points on 7-9 FGA and plus-23 plus-minus, 19 points on 9-18 FGA, 13 rebounds and plus-20 plus-minus, 24 points on 9-16 FGA, nine rebounds and plus-15 plus-minus and 24 points on 11-19 FGA and six rebounds.

Just a few games later, he erupted for a team-high 43 points on 17-26 FGA, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals against Salt Lake City on Feb 13. He followed that up with a 23-point, 15-rebound performance in OKC in a crucial road victory on Feb. 28, as the regular season was starting to wind down.

His most consistent play came when it mattered the most, down the last seven games of the regular season, where Champagnie scored 21-plus points in five of those contests. He secured another 40 point game (40 points on 17-26 FGA and a season-high 17 rebounds) on Mar. 8 at South Bay and had a total off 55 rebounds in four games from Mar. 6 to Mar. 15.

In 23 regular season games Champagnie averaged 18.2 points on 52.0 percent shooting, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per 31.3 minutes a game.

His best game in the playoffs came in the Western Conference Finals, where he had 23 points on 10-19 FGA and nine rebounds. Just two days later, he joined the Boston Celtics, as he became the league leading eighth NBA Call-Up for the Skyforce during the 2022-23 season.

Since being signed by the Celtics, Champagnie has appeared in four games with the team, two being playoff games.

“I was really excited to get an opportunity just to get back on an NBA floor and help and do whatever I can,” he said. “Staying ready no matter what. You might not play a lot in the NBA, so always being ready to go and make an impact on the game.”