The second season of Facundo Campazzo (Córdoba, Argentina, 1991) is not being easy. After a first year with opportunities, with 65 games played out of a possible 72, 19 as a starter and an average of 21.9 minutes; in this his participation has fallen: he has only been a starter in 4 of 62 (82 in contention) and his presence on the court has dropped three minutes (18.6). To top it off, he accumulates eight duels without entering the court and has only had minutes in two of the last twelve with 1:15 in Washington and 4:30 against Boston.
A very low background for a player who was a reference in Europe and at Real Madrid, with whom he won three ACB Leagues, two Euroleagues, two Copas del Rey and four Spanish Super Cups in his five seasons with the white team. From the undisputed starter, from first-rate artillery in the Old Continent to player noted by the Nuggets fans.
“I wait for my opportunity”
“I dare to say that it is a special and somewhat strange moment. I’m not saying it’s unusual, but yes it is not the most comfortable for me. (…) In any case, I take it as an apprenticeship, although I cannot deny that I want to play (…). I’m waiting for my chance”, writes Campazzo about his situation in the newspaper The nation of his country. “I try to do the things that are within my reach and not despair over what I can’t control.”
“I take advantage of every moment, even if it is not the ideal scenario. (….) I want to look on the bright side…”, continues the Argentine, who landed in Denver in November 2020, in the middle of the season in Europe, when the NBA transfer market opened, later than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, which lengthened the previous course until mid-August.
His role has dwindled with the passing of the season. From the main player of the rotation to disappearing from it when the playoffs knock at the door, the seconds of his career in the North American League. A scenario that the Albiceleste international takes professionally: “Not being part of the rotation I don’t take it personally, if I did it that way it would be a huge mistake. The first thing I do is put myself in the coach’s shoes, because if when it was my turn to play I wasn’t able to contribute anything to the team to achieve victories and to give it a good dynamic, it is logical that one as a coach has to try other alternatives”, reflects the Facu.
His future, in the NBA
“After all, what happens to me is that I miss playing, which is what I like the most (…). The truth is that when I started not playing much I was more down, but honestly it bores me to be angry for so long. Or think about what happens that I don’t play, I’m super calm with the situation, I go to every training session with the aim of getting something positive out of each practice, ”says Campazzo, who ends his two-year contract with Denver this summer. The Nuggets have a qualifying offer on him of $4 million.
His future is in the air and, despite the fact that many pointed to a return to the capital of Spain, this fact seems distant. Very far if we talk about the next season. “I am optimistic. They told me about some interest from other franchises, there were even some in times of trade (trades), but they didn’t suit the Nuggets. The important thing is that he is fine, I saw him very well these days”, he assures in 3×3 of One Against One Radio his representative, Claudio Villanueva.
