The Utah Jazz may have stumbled onto something in the search to get more consistency from their current roster, and it’s coming from an unexpected source. Second-year Jazzman Simone Fontecchio continues to make a case that he deserves to be a permanent fixture in the rotation moving forward.
During Utah’s back-to-back wins over the New Orleans Pelicans, Fontecchio averaged 12 points per game, including five three-pointers during that stretch. More importantly, he’s providing consistent effort on the defensive side of the court, which has been a major contributor to Utah’s recent surge.
Jazz head coach Will Hardy commented on what he’s noticed after Monday night's 114-112 win over the Pelicans.
"He's a warrior,” Hardy said of Fontecchio. “He's got a fat lip and a lump on his head. And he just keeps sticking his face in there and defending. He looks like he's been in a boxing match. His effort rubs off on everybody."
Fontecchio's play with the Jazz has been a mixed bag since arriving in Salt Lake City. Despite being stuck at the back of the depth chart for most of his tenure in Utah, he showed some flashes that he belongs in the NBA last season.
When minutes became available in March of his rookie year after the Mike Conley trade, Fontecchio averaged 11.4 points per game. This included a career-high of 26 points versus the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fontecchio offers a skill set that the Jazz have been lacking in their half-court sets. Utah has plenty of players who thrive in creating its own offense but has lacked players who are better at catch-and-shoot opportunities while spacing the floor for others. Fontecchio provides just that.
However, if Fontecchio is going to stay in the rotation when Lauri Markannen comes back, he’ll need to continue to hold his own defensively. Fontecchio spoke about his effort in his post-game interview.
“I was on the floor all game long, but I was just trying to play hard like always, and I guess that’s the result,” Fontrcchio said after Monday’s win.
Hardy will have a difficult decision that lies ahead when his All-Star forward comes back. With Markkanen’s imminent, where can Fontecchio get 20-plus minutes per game?
On the surface, taking minutes from Ochai Agbaji and Talen Horton-Tucker feels like the most likely path, but don't rule out the possibility of Fontecchio remaining in the starting lineup.
Moving John Collins to the starting five and Markkanen to the four could open the door for Fontecchio to slide into the three. This could be the route Hardy chooses, given that he’s already made a conscious effort not to simultaneously have Collins and Walker Kessler on the floor toghether.
Kessler has also shown that he can thrive coming off the bench and still get 25-plus minutes per game. At the very least, it’s an option worth taking a look at, considering Utah’s recent success.
Jazz fans may get answers soon about what the starting lineup will look like with Markkanen's return just around the corner.
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