Jazz G Jordan Clarkson Comments on Facing Simone Fontecchio in FIBA

Jordan Clarkson and Simone Fontecchio may be teammates when they lace them up in Salt Lake City, but on Tuesday, both players will put that aside for the betterment of the country they represent.

Italy and Gilas Pilipinas will play each other in their third and final game of the first phase of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. It will be the first time two Utah Jazz members will face off in a game that could eliminate either team from the tournament.

Clarkson touched on the matchup when asked by a reporter before their game against Angola.

“I haven’t seen really much but I got a chance to watch the game before ours in the back so — he’s doing a great job over there,” Clarkson said. “Italy is really good. They come out with skill and talented players all the time. Definitely a good game, looking forward to those.”

I talked with Jordan Clarkson, who’s leading the Philippines at the World Cup, and asked him about facing his @utahjazz teammate Simone Fontecchio:

“I ain’t seeing him very much, but I had the chance to watch the game, and he’s doing a great job over there. He’s really good”. pic.twitter.com/Yfv61BbcSF
— Cesare Milanti (@cesaremilanti) August 27, 2023

Clarkson will need to come out victorious against Italy, and Angola would have to lose for any chance of advancing in the tournament. In that scenario, Gilas Pilipinas would still need the help of a tie-breaker to make it to the next round.

In order for Italy to advance, it’s more cut in which a win is all they need to keep their hopes alive. Either way, it will be fun for Jazz fans to watch the pair battle it out.

That said, it will be an uphill battle for Clarkson to come out on top. Italy is ranked tenth in the world despite Fontecchio being the only NBA player on the team. As far as Gilas Pilipinas, Clarkson is the biggest star and will need a career game to pull off the upset. Italy is a 13.5-point favorite heading into the contest.

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