Very good first season in Denver, with a leading role in a competitive team, although with the bustle of many games on top. How does it get to Tokyo? The analysis of Silvio Santander, national assistant.
After a very interesting first experience in the most important league in the world, Facundo Campazzo will face a new challenge with the Argentine National Team: the Tokyo Olympic Games, an event he will arrive with a significant load of matches after having played 97 between September 2020 and June of this year, counting the 22 he faced with Real Madrid and another 75 with the Denver Nuggets. Among the 15 preselected by Sergio Hernández, Facu is the one who accumulates the most games throughout the season, above the 74 that Leandro Bolmaro has so far with Barcelona.
Will fatigue be decisive or will the NBA experience weigh more? One of Oveja’s assistants, Silvio Santander, spoke with CAB press and commented on how he sees Campazzo for the Games. In addition, he compared it to the World Cup version we enjoyed in 2019 and pointed out how it has improved since then. “We are going to meet a Facundo at the same level as in recent years. He is a player who continues to strengthen his game and maturity. We have to see how it comes after a season as exhausting as the one he lived in the NBA. That Sergio is going to handle it very well, surely “he explained. Facu, meanwhile, already rests with his family and then resume his individual work and arrive sharpened to the preparation, from the 27th of this month, in Las Vegas.
Two years ago, the Cordovan reached a superlative level in the World Cup in China and was key for Argentina to achieve an impressive runner-up, with averages of 13.3 points, 7.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2 recoveries. “I believe that Facu reached a peak of performance in China, where he could have been perfectly chosen in the world quintet. He is close to his playing ceiling, so I don’t think he can take a very step forward (at these Olympics), as the previous version was excellent. “Santander added.
However, he stressed that in his game he has made progress in these two years, especially in the last few months in the NBA. “I do believe that the development of the three-point shot with another range, which has done very well, will be better in China. Playing every day with athletes of the quality of players that the NBA has is going to make it more intense physically and mentally. That rhythm that comes from the best league in the world can be transferred well, but with regard to pure play, I think it has already reached levels of excellence “, completed the coach of San Lorenzo.
At his core, Facu was always a different player, capable of facing any challenge with his own innate tools: his audacity, mischief, intellect and game reading. Over time, he managed to develop all the talent that he hides within his 1m78 body. Today, at 30, he boasts a much broader repertoire: ball control, shooting, intensity, explosiveness, lateral speed, experience, leadership and determination, among other values that led him to establish himself as a world-class player.
In his first season in the NBA, Campazzo played a total of 75 games (28 at start), in which he averaged 6.5 points, 3.6 assists, 2.2 recoveries and 1.2 steals in almost 23 minutes on the court. He was also the third rookie with the most assists and the fourth with the most steals. However, his greatest achievements are not purely in numbers. The intrepid Cordovan point guard established himself in the rotation of a team contending for the title, winning the hearts of the fans and the respect of the entire league. A new challenge dominated by a genius used to being prejudiced by his stature, but even more used to imposing his character on all kinds of criticism and obstacles. A few days after living his third Olympic Games, the Nuggets point guard fills an entire country with enthusiasm.
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