Pistons player previews: Simone Fontecchio is one of the league’s most valuable reserves

Simone Fontecchio was the darling of the Detroit Pistons’ many moves at the trade deadline last season. He brought much-needed shooting, which shined in his 16 games with Detroit before he was lost to injury.

Fontecchio isn’t just a shooter, though. Although he’s entering just his third NBA season, he serves more as a veteran due to his experience playing internationally before he joined the Utah Jazz in the 2022-23 season.

The Pistons added more shooting this offseason, but that doesn’t push Fontecchio to the side. In fact, he’s a critical piece on the Pistons’ roster.

Over the offseason, the Pistons re-signed him to a two-year, $16 million deal. His new contract is an incredible value for all that he can bring to a young team that so desperately needed floor spacers just a year ago. The only issue with the deal is that it’s not longer term.

Now, heading into a new season, Fontecchio brings a steady presence the young Pistons can lean on to hit threes, provide secondary offense, and help out on defense. There are a couple of big questions surrounding Fontecchio, like whether he will start and whether the new Pistons front office sees him as a long-term roster piece or a player they’d be willing to move off of in the right trade.

So, let’s take a full look at Fontecchio’s first full season as a Piston, what he brings, and how he fits in with the redesigned roster.

Offense

Fontecchio fits with the Pistons’ offseason agenda: add shooters around your young guns. Though he was brought in by the previous regime when Troy Weaver made a deadline deal with the Utah Jazz, Fontecchio is the type of player the Trajan Langdon-led Pistons want.

In 16 games as a Piston last year, Fontecchio shot 42.6% from three on 6.3 attempts per game. Sixteen games isn’t a large sample, but he was as advertised and showcased why Detroit dealt for him.

To go a bit deeper, he was an elite 3-point shooter from the corners. In a Pistons uniform, he shot 52.5% on corner threes, which is in the 100th percentile amongst wings, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Entering the new season, more of the same is expected from Fontecchio. He’ll serve as a resource on the perimeter that drivers can kick out to. He can knock down catch-and-shoot threes, but he can also put it on the deck and drive himself when needed. You want Fontecchio on the floor for his shooting ability, without question, but he’s not a ball-stopper by any means, and he won’t stall your offense if he isn’t wide open beyond the 3-point line.

He’s sneakily athletic, too. He’s not the type of player to play above the rim or put people on posters, but he has some bounce. Combine that with his feel for the game, he can navigate screens to remove defenders from plays and carve out a clear path to the rim.

Any team with Fontecchio on its roster wants him to get up threes and be in the right spots for kick-outs. He’ll shoot those threes with the Pistons this season, no matter what his role turns out to be, but he’s not a one-dimensional player and can make other things happen, too.

Defense

Fontecchio competes on defense. He’s not known for his defensive abilities, but the effort and activity are there. I’d say he’s somewhere right around the middle as a defender, which is what the Pistons need him to be. It’s not a total negative; it’s a player you are comfortable leaving out there for everything he gives you on offense.

He’s entering just his third season in the NBA, although he turns 29 this year after beginning his professional career overseas. He looked improved as a defender last season compared to his first year in the NBA with Utah. He averaged more rebounds, steals, and blocks in year two. That growth came in a bigger role and a midseason switch of team contexts, but there was a jump nonetheless.

Most importantly, Fontecchio isn’t a turnstile on defense. He competes, does everything he can to stay in front of his man and has the feel to anticipate what’s next and grab a steal or block a shot every now and then.

In his first full season with the Pistons, Fontecchio will continue to bring solid defense. Nothing spectacular, but that’s not what he’s here for. He still has some room to grow as a defender, too, after he showcased some improvement in year two compared to his rookie season.

Overall

While some pressure is taken away with the addition of other shooters, Fontecchio plays a critical role in the Pistons’ success or failure this season. He’s 6-foot-8, an OK defender, and spaces the floor for your young players. Teams across the NBA covet that archetype. Oh, by the way, he’s only on your books for $8 million per year for the next two years.

On the court, the Pistons need Fontecchio to carry over what he did after he arrived last season. Put up threes in bunches and hit them at a high clip. Be a resource for a driving Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, or insert another ball handler here. Move the ball or put it on the floor if you don’t see a clean 3-point look. All things that Fontecchio already excels at.

There are two caveats that come with Fontecchio’s upcoming year, though. First, does he start? He started the first preseason game, but neither Tobias Harris or Ausar Thompson were available.

Harris presumedly has a starter spot etched in stone as the Pistons will pay him $26 million this year and are on the hook for the same amount next season. Money aside, he’s that consistent veteran presence Cunningham and the other young building blocks need alongside them.

The more interesting name is Thompson. There’s likely one spot in the starting lineup for either Thompson or Fontecchio. The latter helps with spacing, but the former helps with defense, secondary playmaking, and giving a primary young piece the runway to develop. If I were the coach, I would start Fontecchio for the spacing and to avoid having Thompson and Jalen Duren (two non-shooters) on the floor at the same time.

Both Fontecchio and Thompson will play big minutes. Thompson’s health clearance with the league is still up in the air, too, which likely leaves the starter question unanswered for some time. It’s a dealer’s choice, and both players have their pros and cons, but it’s an interesting storyline to monitor nonetheless.

The second caveat for Fontecchio is whether Langdon uses him as a trade chip at the deadline. Fontecchio’s contract is super manageable, and he can likely fit into available trade exceptions somewhat conveniently.

Langdon has acknowledged his appetite for asset accumulation through various public comments since he was introduced as the Pistons’ new president of basketball operations. To bring in assets, you have to part with things that other teams want. Fontecchio brings value to any NBA team, especially those looking to make a postseason push. Unless the Pistons are in contention for a play-in spot heading into the trade deadline, Fontecchio could be a piece Langdon has to part with to bring in draft capital, an exciting younger player or other assets to use in future trades.

Whether a potential trade comes to fruition, Fontecchio brings an important element to this Pistons roster, all while under one of the best-value contracts in the NBA.