Justin Champagnie Off to a Quiet Start in Washington's Backcourt Mix
Justin Champagnie opened the 2026-27 season with the Wizards logging spot minutes off the bench, scoring in single digits in three of his first four games. He is not on the injury report, and last season he averaged 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in 69 games for Washington.
By the Wizards Nightly Desk · updated 4 d ago01The story of the nightFour games inChampagnie has played four games to open 2026-27.
Champagnie has played four games to open 2026-27. He scored 12 points in 18.7 minutes in a win over the Knicks on October 8, then 12 points in 17.0 minutes in a win over the Pistons on October 10. The next two outings were quieter: 7 points in 15.6 minutes in a loss to Brooklyn on October 12, and 0 points in just 5.8 minutes in a loss to New Orleans on October 16. His plus-minus swung from plus-9.0 against New York to minus-9.0 against Brooklyn, and he was plus-2.0 in the limited run against New Orleans.
02Minutes trending downThe clearest pattern through four games is playing time.
The clearest pattern through four games is playing time. Champagnie logged 18.7 minutes against the Knicks, 17.0 against the Pistons, 15.6 against the Nets, and only 5.8 against the Pelicans. His scoring has tracked that decline almost game for game: 12 points, 12 points, 7 points, 0 points. Rebounds and assists have stayed modest across the stretch, topping out at 3 boards in three of the four games and never more than 1 assist. For a wing who is listed at guard-forward, the role so far looks like a bench rotation piece whose minutes have shrunk as the season has gone on.
03What last season looked likeLast season, 2025-26, Champagnie appeared in 69 games for Washington and averaged 20.0 minutes, 8.7 points, 5.6…
Last season, 2025-26, Champagnie appeared in 69 games for Washington and averaged 20.0 minutes, 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks, with 0.7 turnovers per game. He shot 50.2 percent from the field, 31.9 percent on 3-pointers and 78.4 percent at the free-throw line, with a true shooting mark of 58.9 percent. His usage rate was 16.1, and his plus-minus for the season was minus-4.3. Those numbers made him a steady rotation contributor last season, even if the per-game scoring and rebounding figures were modest.
04How last season wound downChampagnie's final stretch of 2025-26 showed more consistent minutes than his current start.
Champagnie's final stretch of 2025-26 showed more consistent minutes than his current start. On March 30 against the Lakers he scored 18 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 26.9 minutes, a plus-11.0 outing in a loss. He followed with 17 points and 7 rebounds in 20.8 minutes against Philadelphia on April 1, then 12 points and 10 rebounds in 20.5 minutes against Miami on April 4. He closed with games of 5 points and 8 rebounds against Chicago on April 7, 11 points and 8 rebounds against Chicago again on April 9, and 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 31.9 minutes against Cleveland on April 12.
05Health and backgroundChampagnie is not on the injury report, and there is no injury history listed for him this season.
Champagnie is not on the injury report, and there is no injury history listed for him this season. He wears number 9 for Washington, stands 6-6 and weighs 206 pounds, and is listed at guard-forward. He is 25 years old and in his fifth NBA season, having come out of Pittsburgh. With no current injury concerns, his path to more playing time runs through performance rather than health, and the Wizards will be looking for him to build on the two wins he helped deliver against the Knicks and Pistons to open the year.
Champagnie8.7 ppg
Goodwin8.7 ppg
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