Justin Champagnie gave Washington an early bench boost on Wednesday, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds and one assist in a 128-116 season-opening win over the Bucks. He played 21 minutes, the most of any Washington reserve, and ended the night at plus-17.
For a team looking for dependable minutes behind the starters, that was a clean first answer. Champagnie was efficient too, going 3-for-4 from the field, 1-for-2 from 3-point range and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line, a compact line that fit the role Washington needed from him in the opener.
The timing matters because AJ Dybantsa was sidelined with an ankle injury, which opened more room in the rotation. Bilal Coulibaly started in Dybantsa’s place, and Champagnie used the opportunity to take the largest share of bench minutes. He had been expected to continue seeing 15-20 minutes a night, and Wednesday’s workload landed right in that range with a little extra on top.
That is where the next test comes in. Champagnie did enough to make a case for steady minutes, but Washington’s rotation will be something to watch once Dybantsa returns. If the minutes tighten, the question is not whether Champagnie helped in the opener. It is how much of that role Washington can keep in place when the lineup is whole again.
