"Remember when the Philadelphia 76ers still had Julian Champagnie on their roster? Yeah, me neither."
That will probably be the script moving forward among newer fans of the 76ers. After all, the front office did not even give Champagnie a real opportunity to display his skills when he was still in Philly. Now, he is playing the role of unheralded hero for the San Antonio Spurs, which are only two wins away from a Western Conference Finals berth.
Champagnie getting cut early is one thing, but things gets so much worse when you take into account the real reason why the 76ers made that decision. As people have pointed out, the team waived him when he was still a rookie in order to bring in Mac McClung, who will then go on to represent the city and win the Dunk Contest in the All-Star break back in 2023.
The 76ers keep getting reminded of the huge mistake that was waiving Julian Champagnie
Mind you, McClung did not do anything as part of the roster. He suited up in just a couple of games before he started bouncing around the league and shuffling between the NBA and the G-League. Meanwhile, Champagnie is constantly proving the 76ers wrong as the Spurs embraced him as a vital piece of the puzzle.
Champagnie has arguably been the best spot-up shooter in the NBA so far in the playoffs. He is draining 55 percent of his three-point tries entering Sunday while also averaging nearly six rebounds a night for the Spurs. Of course, the stars in San Antonio will get most fo the credit, but their team is set up in such a way that the former 76ers wing is one of their barometers for success.
A volume three-point shooter like Champagnie who is comfortable shooting the rock with a hand in his face while also being a very capable defender and rebounder would have helped a team in dire need of those help in those areas, and one would be hard-pressed to find a team that fits that billing more than this current iteration of the 76ers.
Instead, the St. John's alum is set to keep his talents in San Antonio while the 76ers can only lick their wounds due to their premature action with Champagnie. This one is very clearly on the front office and the coaching staff at that time, although it will never change the fact that Champagnie was a missed opportunity.
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