The advice Fred VanVleet gave Justin Champagnie on winning roster spot

Justin Champagnie discusses the injuries he's suffered during summer and preseason, his mentality heading into the upcoming roster cuts and the advice Fred VanVleet gave him about earning an opening night spot.

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- How have the past couple of days been?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Oh, I mean, they've been all right. Trying to get my rhythm back, trying to get in the flow, and just pull it up a long route. That's really all. They've been pretty good overall, though, I would say.

- How good is it to be out there [INAUDIBLE]?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: I'm a little-- I was a little rusty, a little bit out of rhythm in that game. But I just feel like if I come into practice today and tomorrow and just kind of get my rhythm back, then when I get back on the court against Boston, I'll feel a little bit better out there and just show what I can do there?

- Is it difficult to find that balance between-- you know you're fighting for a spot. You want to show exactly what you said, what you can do. But you don't want to go beyond yourself and make it look, you know--

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Yeah, I would just say, for me, it's just going out there and making my presence be felt. I know, like, all actuality, if I do make the team, then I'm playing with the older guys, it's not going to be they can shoot 20 shots, you know? So I just try to go out there and play my role still, rebound, play defense. Take open shots if they come to me. Just be a little bit more aggressive, obviously.

- What have these last few months been like to you with a couple of ill-timed injuries--

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Oh, man.

- --just kind of staying focused and positive?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: It's just tough, man. You know, especially in the position I'm in, it's tough to go through injuries and know that you still gotta come back and fight for that last spot. But I've been through this before in college. I've been hurt before and had to fight back. So I just try to keep my mind focused on what I can do to be better, control what I can control.

- You had a really strong year last year, and Nick has been a fan of yours. How much, while you are not able to play over the last few months, how much are you relying on that past body of work, to--

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Man.

- --knowing that you've shown--

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Yeah, I mean, I relied on it a little bit. But I know that it's-- the league is for the business, you know? So it's just when I get back on the court, just showing I can still do that is my main goal. So I'm relying a little bit on it, but just trying to [INAUDIBLE] in practice I got on this last game and just really put my best foot forward.

- Have you spoken to Fred? Has he given you advice, being a guy who was in your position years ago?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: He just told me, just keep going. Keep fighting, and keep doing treatment that's gonna make you feel better when you get on the court. And you just got to be a dog.

Wait till you get out there. There ain't no real excuses that I could bring to the table of why I'm not bringing my full effort. So just be a dog, and it'll work out.

- Sometimes you miss shots. Sometimes you make them. How do you make sure that can play your game on blast--

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Oh, I go--

- --every morning, [INAUDIBLE] or anything like that?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Say again?

- How do you make sure, in these games, to put your [INAUDIBLE] without worrying about [INAUDIBLE]?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: I would say just go out there and just make your presence known. Be [INAUDIBLE] on the court. Rebound, talk, cheer on your teammates. All the little stuff.

The game is not always about scoring. We've got guys that get paid a lot of money to go out there and score. So my job would be to just go out there and rebound, be energy, and be that dog they need me to be.

- How close to healthy do you feel?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: I'm getting there. I feel like I'm, like, 90%, 95% there. Still feel a little bit of pain, but it ain't nothing crazy. So I gotta go out there and push through it and just fight.

- Thanks, Justin.

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Good?

- Thanks, Justin.

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: Yes. One more.

- Since the last day of the season-- preseason's coming up, what are you doing to prepare that was productive last season?

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE: I would just say moreso just mentally prepare myself. I feel like I put a lot of work in on my game, so I'm not gonna really worried about that part. But I would say just watching film, staying inside, making sure I'm taking care of my body, eating the right things, and doing my treatment.