Julian Champagnie's next offensive leap will take the Spurs to the next level

Julian Champagnie was one of the Spurs' unsung heroes throughout their deep playoff run, acting as a reliable floor spacer and three-point shooter. But like every player, he can improve his game to help San Antonio make another leap. Becoming more effective as a downhill driver will open up easier scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Now, Champagnie already checks some important boxes for the Spurs. He's one of their best long-range threats, draining 38% of his threes on 6.2 attempts last season. That knack for punishing defenses from beyond the arc makes him the perfect complementary piece next to players like Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Victor Wembanyama.

But his becoming a more reliable downhill threat will do wonders for San Antonio's offense. He'll never be an elite isolation scorer, but if he can attack closeouts, the Spurs will be even more difficult to contain.

Champagnie can become very effective in the paint

Last season, a small amount of Julian Champagnie's offense came inside the three-point line. He averaged just 2.2 two-point attempts in the regular season for San Antonio. That number dipped to 1.1 in the playoffs, despite playing more minutes.

This didn't mean Julian wasn't effective. He had several big games throughout their run to the NBA Finals and drained countless clutch shots. But he would still benefit a ton from diversifying his scoring attack.

Since he's such a threat from distance, defenders tend to close out aggressively on him. He can trade tough, contested threes with strong drives to the basket. This would allow him to generate paint touches, giving him the option to shoot floaters or layups.

Even if Champagnie can't generate a shot for himself out of his downhill drives, he can spray the ball out to teammates. It would put opponents on their heels, forcing them to scramble and rotate. It's a simple equation: when a shooter as good as him can effectively get into the paint, it opens up so many offensive opportunities.

Will this be enough for Champagnie to keep his starting spot?

Obviously, the Spurs added a lot to their roster this summer. Their most notable addition was Tobias Harris, a veteran scorer who gives them additional floor spacing and shot creation. He, along with Carter Bryant, could be in the running for a spot in San Antonio's starting lineup at some point during the season.

This could push Champagnie out of his starting spot for San Antonio. If Carter Bryant grows into an efficient two-way threat and Harris's scoring translates over, Mitch Johnson will have some tough decisions to make. While that could be a tough pill to swallow, it's a testament to how much depth this team has on the perimeter.

If Champagnie does end up coming off the bench, his skill set will still be a difference-maker for San Antonio. The second unit would benefit from his floor spacing, and he could still be an option to close out games down the stretch.

Whether he remains a starter or not, Julian's role with this team is still extremely important. He could leave an even bigger impact if he combined his elite floor spacing with some more offense inside the three-point line.

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