Campazzo’s agent: “There’s some interest from other franchises”

Facundo Campazzo’s second season in the NBA has been anything but easy. He enjoyed ample opportunities in his first season, playing 65 out of a possible 72 games - 19 of them as a starter with an average of 21.9 minutes on-court. But his participation has dropped dramatically this season, in which he has started just four games out of 62 while his average time on court has dropped down to 18.6 minutes. And to add insult to injury, he has gone eight games without even stepping out onto the court at all and has only been given run-outs in two of the last 12 games - 1:15 in Washington and 4:30 against Boston.

A situation which is anything but encouraging for a player who was a reference in Europa during his time at Real Madrid, with whom he won three Liga Endesas, two Euroleagues, two Copas del Rey and four Spanish Supercups in five seasons in the Spanish capital. In the space of two years he has gone from being an undisputed first choice in Europe to a player under scrutiny by Nuggets fans.

Campazzo: “I’ll wait for my chance”

Campazzo gave an update on his situation in an interview with La Nación: “All I can say is that it is a strange moment for me. I wouldn’t say unusual, but not the most comfortable of situations for me. (…) But I am taking it as an experience to learn from, although I can’t deny that I want to play (…). I am waiting for an opportunity. I will try to do what is within my control and not despair over things which I have no control over”.

He continued, “I make the most of every moment, even though the situation is not ideal. (….) I want to focus on the positive side…” Campazzo joined Denver in November 2020, halfway through the season in Europe, when the NBA trade window opened - later than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, which meant last season was extended until mid-August.

His place in the team has diminished as the season wore on. From a starter to a fringe player before disappearing completely when the Nuggets were poised to make the playoffs for the second time in his career Stateside. Falling down the pecking order was something which Campazzo took in his stride: “Not being part of the rotation plan isn’t something which I take personally, it would be a mistake if I did. The first thing I do is put myself in the coach’s shoes, because when I was playing, I wasn’t contributing anything to help the team win and put the team in a good dynamic. So it’s understandable that for a coach, they have to try out alternatives,” El Facu reasoned.

His future in the NBA

Campazzo, whose two-year contract with Denver comes to an end this summer, says he is not overly worried about his future. The Nuggets have a qualifying offer on him for 4 million dollars.

“At the end of the day, I just want to want to play, what I enjoy doing most (…). The truth is that when I started playing less, my form was dropping, but getting upset about it is a waste of time. Or thinking about what will happen if I’m not playing. I am really calm about the situation, I go into every training session with the aim of taking something positive,” he continued. With his future up in the air and while some are betting that he will return to Spain, it seems such a move is far off. As his agent Claudio Villanueva told UnoContraUno Radio’s 3x3 programme, Campazzo isn’t even looking as far ahead as next season. “I’m optimistic. I have been told about interest from other franchises, there was some talk in the trade window, but the Nuggets were not convinced. What matters is that he is ok, and he looks fine to me,” Villanueva said.