Denver Nuggets: How each unit of the bench mob is keeping NBA Finals hopes alive

Denver Nuggets Bench Mob: Facundo Campazzo, The Energizer Bunny

It’s easy to see why Facundo Campazzo has become a fan-favorite among the Nuggets faithful so quickly. He’s undersized, he’s undrafted, and he’s undeterred from any defensive assignment he’s given.

And what a name too, you can count me as a fan of any name with a double-z. Denver’s little bulldog is also pretty darn strong, just ask Ben Simmons.

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Once a dynamic part of the Bench Mob, Facu has just recently been thrust into the starting five. Campazzo has struggled shooting the ball since entering the starting lineup five games ago, shooting just 36 percent from the field and 31 percent from deep over that span. He’s only taking seven shots per game while playing 32.3 minutes a night (third on the Nuggets during this stretch) though, so scoring is clearly not his MO when the diminutive South American is on the floor.

Campazzo is second in the NBA with a 39.8 assist ratio among players playing 25+ minutes per game since April 19th, which means that Facu is dishing the rock at a very high rate without taking too many shots away from guys like MPJ and Joker. His 3.9 assist-turnover ratio is the best on the team during this stretch and his 6.5 dimes per game as the starter recently are actually more than the 5.4 helpers they were getting from Murray in the month prior. Not to mention his 19-point, 10-assist showing on Wednesday night, the first double-double of his short career.

And how about his aggressiveness and the perpetual harassment of his opponents on the defensive end. Facu will often guard his man full-court and is not afraid to blow up screens as he did against Simmons above. He’s like a little gnat that you can never quite escape from, and that ceaseless pressure takes a toll on his opponents, not to mention his quick hands, which have resulted in 3.3 deflections per game over the past five, tops among Nuggets.

Here are some stats for premier opponents while being guarded by Facu this season, courtesy of Second Spectrum: Kemba Walker shot 33 percent from the field and 20 from downtown while turning the ball over thrice, Ja Morant was forced into four turnovers, Steph Curry turned the ball over seven times with Facu on him, and Damian Lillard did the same three times while shooting 27 percent from the field.