On paper, the Denver Nuggets had a relatively quiet offseason with no major signings or transactions with other teams. But in a recent interview, head coach Mike Malone boasted of Argentinian guard Facundo Campazzo, their recent acquisition whom he believes is of the best pick-and-roll players in the world.

Campazzo, a fixture in the European basketball scene for the past few years, will make his NBA debut this season after the Nuggets signed him to a multi-year deal in November. Per Kyle Fredrickson of The Denver Post, Malone spoke highly of the 5-foot-11 guard:

“When I get depressed, I might just put on (Campazzo) highlights, because it brings a smile on my face,” Malone told reporters Sunday during a virtual news conference. “The guy plays with a flare and a passion that you don’t always see. … He has to be a top-five pick-and-roll player in the world.”

Apart from his pick-and-roll skills, the Nuggets coach also praised Campazzo's defensive abilities, too. Not to mention his courage and tenacity which more than makes up for his relatively small stature.

“When you first look at him, you probably would want to underestimate him because he’s not the tallest guy in the gym and he’s not the strongest guy in the gym,” Malone said. “But his heart is huge. He plays with a tremendous amount of passion and pride. He’s got great toughness and I think he’s a very, very good defensive player. A disruptive defensive player.”

Before enlisting with Denver, Campazzo has spent the last five seasons with Real Madrid and was a key part of their 2014-15 and 2017-18 title campaign. In this span, he averaged 8.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds across 21.2 minutes. He shot 41.9% from the field. He has also represented Argentina in international tourneys.

He played eight games in the 2012 London Olympics and also helped his home country take home the silver medal in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He'll look to bring some of that experience on board for the Nuggets' backcourt.

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