By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
While Facu Campazzo is widely expected to leave Real Madrid for an NBA team when the free agency opens on November 20, coach Pablo Laso doesn’t plan on brooding over the Argentinian guard’s upcoming departure.
Even if that exit means losing arguably his most important player.
“Right now, this worries me zero,” Laso said in a pre-game presser ahead of the EuroLeague Round 8 road game against Crvena Zvezda, per Spanish agency EFE and Real Madrid. “After everything that’s happening this year, I can’t think beyond the next game.”
“Whatever happens, the team idea shouldn’t change, regardless of the fact that I don’t like to change players for the sake of change,” Laso added. A testament to the latter is the fact that Real made just one new signing in the 2020 offseason by acquiring forward Alberto Abalde from Valencia. 19-year-old guard Carlos Alocen was also incorporated in the team after the loan to Zaragoza.
Campazzo bidding his farewell for a club like the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Dallas Mavericks (which will prompt a reunion with Luka Doncic) will leave Laso without his leading performer, top passer, main floor general, and one mighty, tough as nails defender. The Spanish coach is obviously well aware of all these, but his mind is currently occupied solely with how his team will get the win in Belgrade.
Crvena Zvezda won’t be having the support fromthe loud songs and noises that its fans were making in the pre-coronavirus era, but that doesn’t mean Real’s job will be any easy.
“It’s a very complicated trip. Playing in Belgrade is always difficult, even if there’s no crowd,” Laso said. “It’s a very aggressive team, with a rotation that uses many players. Despite the last two wins, we must think that the game will be very difficult.”