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Spurs’ Julian Champagnie gets real about personal success amid team struggles
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- Spurs’ Julian Champagnie gets real about personal success amid team struggles
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The San Antonio Spurs ' recent shooting woes haven't plagued Julian Champagnie . Coming off a night in which he knocked down 8/16 from three-point range, the third-year Spur has hit at least 40 percent from the field during a recent seven-game stint. The Spurs have lost three of those tilts, including one to the Houston Rockets.
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"I really don't care, honestly and truly," Champagnie said of his 27-point performance in the loss to Houston. "I don't care if I have 20, I don't care if I have ten. I mean, it just is what it is."
The Spurs blew a 16-point lead against a fellow Western Conference contender in that setback in East Texas.
"I like to win," Champagnie continued. "I would much rather me have zero and us win by 20, if I'm being honest with you. But, it's just basketball, it's just annoying. The loss is what bothers me the most, despite everything else. That's just us not putting our best foot forward. That's what the kicker is for me."
Julian Champagnie talks shooting amid Spurs struggles
As hot as Champagnie was , the Spurs were equally as not vs. the Rockets. They shot 39% from the floor and 28% from beyond the arc. Outside of a recent three-game winning streak , those kinds of shooting performances have been the norm since late December. For instance, San Antonio shot 35% from three-point range in a January 13 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder .
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Considering the struggles, Champagnie was asked if the Spurs' shot selection comes from what the defense gives them or from offensive aggression.
"I think it's a little bit of both. I don't think that no one took any shots today that were without the team or, 'I'm doing what I want to do.' No one did it with bad intentions."
The Spurs have been without Devin Vassell for the last several weeks. While stars Victor Wembanyama , De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle continue to pace the team, rookies Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant are taking on more during this stretch.
"I think that's a part of us growing up and becoming a better team because we have so much room to grow," Champagnie shared. "You know that we can get a shot any time on the shot clock, whatever shot that may be. We've got guys who can get shots off at any time. Fox, Vic, Steph , Dev, anyone who's playing. I think figuring out a way to get the best shot for the team, what shot is for everybody, even if I don't shoot it or Vic doesn't shoot it, Fox shoots it – that's the best shot for everybody."
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The Spurs feature a core that ranks among the youngest in the league. Wemby recently turned 22. Castle is 21. Harper is 19. Put another way, Keldon Johnson , the longest tenured Spur, is 26 years old. Still, they're second in the West ; something Champagnie understands and looks forward to.
"I think we have to continue to figure out and build out what that looks like."
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