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3-Year NBA Veteran Makes Detroit Pistons History vs Pelicans

Simone Fontecchio had a standout night against the Pelicans.
Justin Grasso|
Mar 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (19) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic (17) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Mar 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (19) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic (17) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Simone Fontecchio’s first full season with the Detroit Pistons has been a quiet campaign. After being a diamond in the rough for a short stint amid the 14-68 run last season, the veteran sharpshooter has been less involved while in a role coming off the bench.

On Monday night, Fontecchio put together his season-high in a blowout game over the New Orleans Pelicans. In the process of his efficient outing, Fontecchio ended up becoming the first player in Pistons history to achieve a stat line of 23 points, seven rebounds, and five threes while shooting 90 percent from the field.

Fontecchio was a critical presence off the bench on Monday night as the Pistons dominated the Pelicans by 46 points.

This season, Fontecchio has appeared in 62 games. Each of his appearances were off the bench. Seeing the court for roughly 17 minutes per game, Fontecchio has averaged six points while shooting 34 percent.

Compared to last season, Fontecchio is certainly having a down year. At the start of the 2023-2024 campaign, Fontecchio appeared in 50 games with the Utah Jazz. He started in 34 matchups and saw the court for over 20 minutes per night.

Fontecchio produced nine points per game on 39 percent shooting during his second season with the Jazz. At the 2024 trade deadline, the Pistons acquired Fontecchio. In a season where they played the role of sellers, Detroit bought in on Fontecchio’s shooting value.

After the Italian forward averaged 15 points in 16 games on 43 percent shooting down the stretch after the deadline, the Pistons re-signed Fontecchio on a multi-year deal over the summer. His playing time might be cut, but the Pistons have still believed in Fontecchio’s value off the bench. Like most of his teammates, he looks forward to gaining his first NBA playoff experience next month.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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