DENVER — Love is in the thin air. Here comes a bromance made in hoops heaven.

Michael Malone, meet Facundo “Facu” Campazzo.

Swoon.

“He’s small in stature, but you can’t judge him by that,” Malone said. “You judge him by his heart.”

Imagine a dynamic you love the most. (Mine is whatever Mom puts in her eggnog.) Now multiply it by 10. That’s how Malone, the Nuggets coach, is going to feel about “Facu,” the Argentinian point guard who will have the coach’s heart by Valentine’s Day. As the Nuggets open the regular season Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings, Campazzo stands only 5-foot-11. But for a Nuggets outfit that’s trying out some new stuff on the fly, his presence looms large.

Real quick, let’s clarify something: Campazzo, a 29-year-old NBA rookie, won’t assume a starring or even a starting role with the Nuggets. That’s now where his value lies in Denver. He’ll play with some serious pride and as a serious pest.

That’s where his value lies.

His arrival from Real Madrid means a few things for the Nuggets, and they’re going to need each one: a prideful veteran to provide a kick in the pants when they need one, an agitator to annoy opponents and a coach on the floor for Malone.

From a basketball standpoint this will be a COVID-strained season that’s truly going to test a coach’s patience. Players will miss games. Teams will cancel games. If you thought it was ridiculous Brandon McManus was banned from playing for the Broncos on Saturday despite testing negative for the coronavirus throughout the week leading in, mentally prepare for 72 games of head-scratching protocols in the NBA.

“Look what happened to the Broncos,” Malone said. “They had no quarterbacks because they put their masks down in a meeting.”

Plus, these Nuggets will remind of the previous Nuggets in name only, and their accelerated style of play flies in the face of Malone’s sensibilities. While stopping short of contracting Paul Westhead as a consultant, the Nuggets are sprinting into a season that will see them gun for 120-plus every night. They haven’t averaged more than 112 in the Malone era. He values possessions; they now value pace.

Did you catch Denver’s three preseason games? Silly question. Altitude TV still hasn’t figured out a deal with Comcast, so a big chunk of the state won’t see these Nuggets play — again. Coupled with the fan ban at Ball Arena, and the team again is missing a chance to add converts.

Anyway, the Nuggets preseason portended a need for speed. They attempted 87 shots per 100 possessions, seventh most in the league, while firing up 37 3-pointers per 100 possessions — an increase of nearly five from a season ago. Shoot, they launched 40-plus 3-pointers in two preseason games after doing so only six times in 82 games. Check out how they’ve altered practice. These days a corner 3-pointer is worth 4 points — and a mid-range jumper is worth 1. You are what you emphasize.

The trick is making sure a push toward pace doesn’t result in finesse basketball. That’s where Campazzo comes in. You know that one guy at the rec center who never leaves the court because his team never loses — and he’s so relentless most of the gym hates his guts?

That’s Campazzo, who isn’t afraid to make new enemies while endearing himself to new teammates. Telling you, this guy would be a pain in the you-know-what to play against, let alone when he starts trash-talking in Spanish.

The Nuggets needed a pain in the you-know-what in any language.

Here’s what one former Euroleague coach told me about competing against Campazzo: “As a typical Argentinian he may lead the (Nuggets) in charges taken. No regard to his body at times.”

Does that sound like a player Malone, whose father coached the Pistons’ “Bad Boys,” might appreciate?

“He is a game manager in the highest sense,” the former Euroleague coach said. “In Europe all possessions count, so he is excellent controlling tempo and carrying out the coach’s orders.”

The Nuggets won’t miss Jerami Grant in the regular season, and there’s a trade deadline to figure out a matchup for LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and all the freaky wing players who line the Western Conference. Where they’ll miss Grant’s springy body is in the postseason.

Bringing Michael Porter Jr. off the bench is a blast from the past nobody’s got time for. Start MPJ, and start Will Barton too. Don’t lean into this offense-first thing. Jump headfirst into it.

The Nuggets’ over-under win total sits at 44.5, third-most in the West, and make mine the over. A core that’s played together for years should be well-equipped to handle the inevitable frustration of a start-stop regular season.

And where there’s a Joker, there’s a way. He’s a married man now, so all-NBA star Nikola Jokic won’t be spending his nights out at the club, partying till all hours, living the celebrity life …

Yeah, right.

“What I love about him,” Malone said of the Joker, a homebody, “is that he hasn’t changed.”

The Nuggets are changing, and a two-time EuroLeague champ like Facu must push the transition. They need his attitude to rub off.

“When I get depressed I might just put on Facu highlights. It puts a smile on my face,” Malone said.

Swoon.