The 50 most interesting players in European hoops: Nos. 40-31

33. Facundo Campazzo, PG, Real Madrid

Campazzo is one of the great European oddities. The Argentinian is just 5-foot-7, but he is immensely successful as a playmaker and scorer, thanks to his brilliant agility that helps erase his significant length deficit. He’s a wizard in halfcourt sets, the heir to Ricky Rubio’s court vision out of the Spanish point guard tree. When he gets going, he’s absolutely stunning to watch, even if he’d never come close to replicating it in the NBA.

He’ll need to be stunning a lot this year. Thanks to Sergio Llull’s ACL injury in international play this summer, Campazzo is going to be the de facto starting point guard for Real Madrid, the steady hand that will balance the flair and mistakes of 18-year old Luka Doncic. He’s a natural fit for Madrid’s pick-and-roll system, and his infectious ball movement should pair well with the rest of the roster. But you don’t just replace the best player in Europe easily, and Campazzo particularly has to prove a lot on the defensive end to keep Madrid at their title-contending ceiling. He’s under a lot of pressure this season, and we will have to see how well he rises to the occasion.