Wizards Wing Needs His Jumper Back

The Washington Wizards are slowly finding their identity, even if they're having to more or less wait out some of the albatross contracts on their books. The young pieces are ready to go now, having flashed a more energetic style as of late that plays to their strengths as a transition-heavy squad that likes to run and hoist 3-pointers.

Most of their favorite prospects aren't even bad defenders, either, playing into the belief that these guys can regularly put forth competitive two-way efforts once they've shed a few of the veteran shot-takers. Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, even Bub Carrington can get after it on both ends.

One other rotational option who's quietly asserted himself as a rotational cornerstone has been Justin Champagnie, who aligns a lot more with those pillar pieces than some fans may realize. He's just 24 years old, tries harder on defense and on the boards than just about any of his teammates, and can shoot the 3-ball.

At least, he could last year. Fans who fondly remember the 38.3% clip he hit on across 62 appearances and 3.1 attempts per game in 2024-25 will be bummed to see that he's lost his touch through this campaign, now sinking all he way down to a 22.5% hit rate from deep. If he wants to continue earning his keep in Washington's organization, he'll need to remember his stroke.