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GANTER: Is Raptors’ Champagnie the next VanVleet?

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It’s a examined and confirmed components that has served the Toronto Raptors nicely.

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Get hold of these guys with equal elements drive and chip-on-their-shoulder, present them a possibility and reap the rewards.

Fred VanVleet, Mr. Wager on Your self, might be the obvious instance within the fold proper now. Norm Powell had a few of that in him though he was no less than drafted.

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Chris Boucher has a few of that in him. Jalen Harris — keep in mind him? — had it as nicely, however that story did finish as nicely for the Raptors.

And now within the starring function within the newest of those Raptors finds, we current to you Justin Champagnie.

Like VanVleet, Champagnie was handed over within the draft and, like VanVleet, that solely made him extra decided.

Now clearly attending to the VanVleet stage of overcoming the percentages doesn’t occur for that many, however Champagnie seems to have the proper perspective to comply with an analogous path and positively the internal confidence to get there.

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“One factor everybody is aware of about me, once I put my thoughts to one thing, I’m going to go to do it, it doesn’t matter what anyone says,” Champagnie mentioned yesterday following apply upfront of a few a pre-season video games on the highway, Thursday in Philadelphia and Saturday in Boston.

And what Champagnie has had in his thoughts since he was only a younger boy was making it to the NBA.

The Raptors opened that door providing him a two-way contract on draft night time, one thing the staff has by no means finished for an undrafted participant and now it’s as much as Champagnie to do the remaining.

“I simply form of put it in my head ever since I used to be a child, I’m going to do two years of college and make my goals come true, in order that’s what I did,” Champagnie mentioned.

Requested concerning the two-way contract he has which permits the staff to maneuver him up and down between the mother or father membership and the G-League staff, Champagnie started to smile.

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“I simply wanted my foot within the door,” he mentioned. “I’ll determine it out from there … I’m at all times hungry for extra, able to work.”

At 6-foot-6 and 200 kilos, Champagnie doesn’t precisely scream rebounding stud, however on this case appearances undoubtedly are deceiving.

In his freshman season on the College of Pittsburgh, Champagnie averaged seven rebounds a sport. In his sophomore yr, he boosted that quantity to 11.1 an evening.

In his lone NBA pre-season sport to this point, Champagnie pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds and pumped in 17 factors in a win over Philadelphia.

Champagnie has a quite simple reply to why he’s so profitable rebounding regardless of giving up loads of size and bulk to most inside defenders he faces.

“Yeah, I simply go get it,” he mentioned. “I attempt to watch groups and see what they do however no one desires to play exhausting. Everybody desires to be lackadaisical and simply rise up and down the ground just a little bit. In the event you put that power out, nobody goes to cease you.”

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Rebounding alone isn’t going to maintain Champagnie on an NBA flooring. At his dimension and together with his ability set, he’s going to must play on the perimeter and taking part in on the perimeter means flattening some long-range photographs.

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It wasn’t essentially a power of his popping out of school, however within the two months he has been working with the Raptors coaches, it’s already exhibiting huge enchancment. He made two of his 4 makes an attempt in that exhibition with the 76ers on Monday night time, however that’s just the start.

“The entire teaching workers has been engaged on my shot,” Champagnie mentioned. “They informed me I received a superb shot, my mechanics are good, however I received to get it up within the air extra. I used to be taking pictures it flat once I first received right here. Simply extra arc. Now we have labored on that lots so the outcomes are coming in. I’m going to maintain enhancing.”

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When Champagnie isn’t working, he’s busy staying related with twin brother Julian — Justin is seven minutes older — who went to St. John’s when Justin selected Pitt.

“3 times a day we face time,” Champagnie mentioned. “Every single day. That’s my life, that’s my coronary heart. I really like him. I miss him. We discuss on daily basis.”

The 2 haven’t been separated a lot over the course of their lives till faculty, however even then the 2 have refused to let distance maintain them aside.

“We don’t must do the whole lot collectively,” Justin says when the faculty separation is introduced up. “We are able to do it separate. It’s like we went our separate methods however we actually haven’t. He involves me with each determination he has to make and I am going to him. I really like him. That’s my man.”

As for that chip on Champagnie’s shoulder, it sounds each bit as huge because the one VanVleet carries with him to at the present time.

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Champagnie hasn’t talked about that with VanVleet, however he’s nicely conscious of the ‘Wager on Your self’ mantra and the way intently it dovetails together with his personal lifestyle.

“I guess on myself in the whole lot in life,” he mentioned. “That is the way in which I take a look at the whole lot. If I received drafted, it wouldn’t be who I’m. I’ve at all times been an underdog. I’ve at all times been counted out. I’ve at all times been informed I couldn’t do one thing. Simply getting this chance and going undrafted form of matches me as an individual anyway. It simply fuels my power and need to be a greater participant and make it on this league.”

May the Raptors be so fortunate to search out two VanVleets in only a five-year span?

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