Michael Malone really likes the sound of his new Argentinian point guard’s name and believes Nuggets fans will feel the same once they get to see him play.

“Facundo Campazzo,” Malone said in the New Yorker’s best Italian accent. “I just like saying his name.”

If that’s a mouthful, Campazzo is willing to make it easier on Nuggets fans.

“You can call me Facu,” Campazzo said Sunday after his first full practice with the Nuggets.

To help introduce Campazzo and the six other Nuggets newcomers, Malone cut up each player’s highlights and played them for the rest of the team. Nikola Jokic took exception to one Campazzo clip.

“Right when it came on, Nikola Jokic started cursing me out because it was one of the best passes I’ve ever seen against Serbia,” Malone said.

While Campazzo had 12 assists and 18 points in the FIBA World Cup game that eliminated Serbia, including a couple of no-look dimes and nifty bounce passes, one pass stands out. Early in the first quarter, Campazzo dribbled left toward the top of the key, set his feet parallel to the free-throw line and whipped a behind-the-back pass to an open cutter for a dunk.

It’s the kind of play Nuggets fans, and Campazzo’s teammates should expect.

“Our guys have to get used to playing with him. If you don’t have your eye on the ball, he’s going to break your nose because the ball is going to find you,” Malone said. “Once our guys get comfortable and used to playing with him, they’re going to realize he’s going to get you open shots, and who does not like playing with a guy like that?”

With Campazzo and Jokic, Malone added that he felt like the Nuggets now have two of the best passers in the world, though it might take Campazzo some time to adjust. He said the style he played most recently with Real Madrid was slower than the NBA game. Playing alongside Jokic and Jamal Murray, the Nuggets’ primary ball handlers, will also be a change, but he’s happy to have finally achieved his dream of playing in the best league in the world.

“I’m finally here. I’m so happy right now. I feel like a little child in this moment,” Campazzo said. “It’s awesome. It’s a dream, you know, but I’m just going to keep working.”

Beyond the flash and flair, Campazzo comes with a 5-foot-11 frame that also helps his cause as a potential fan-favorite. What he lacks in prototypical size, he’s more than made up for so far, leading Madrid to a pair of EuroLeague Championships and Argentina to the World Cup final where they lost to Ricky Rubio and Spain.

“What I love about Facu is this — you cannot judge him by his size,” Malone said. “When you first look at him you would probably want to underestimate him because he’s not the tallest guy in the gym, he’s not the strongest guy in the gym, but his heart is huge. He plays with a tremendous amount of passion and pride. He’s got great toughness.

“I think he’s a very, very good defensive player, a disruptive defensive player. And on offense, I think he has to be a top five pick-and-roll player in the world. The guy is not a good passer. He’s a great passer. He makes all of his teammates better. He’s extremely unselfish and that’s why I think it is a seamless fit into our culture.”

Malone continued, “He will be really fun to watch. I think when he gets a chance to get on the floor and play, I think our fans watching at home — unfortunately, they won’t be watching in Ball Arena to start — but I don’t see how you can not fall in love with a young guy like Facu.”