Simone Fontecchio and Nico Mannion: Italy's two keys for a deep run at EuroBasket / News - Basketnews.com

Simone Fontecchio and Nico Mannion are the two players expected to have a major role for Italy at EuroBasket. BasketNews' Orazio Cauchi takes a look at how this duo can affect Italy's success in the upcoming EuroBasket.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Two games against France, one against Serbia, and one against the Czech Republic with only one win. So far, in terms of results, the preparation for EuroBasket hasn't been particularly productive for the Italian national team.

Simone Fontecchio

Position:SFAge:26Height:203 cmWeight:95 kgBirth place:Pescara, ItalyProfileNewsStatistics

But friendly games don't count, and the team coached by Gianmarco Pozzecco played three of those four games against two of the best teams in the world, France and Serbia. They lost heavily only in the second game against France in Montpellier, after forcing 'Les Blues' to overtime in Bologna.

Against Serbia in Germany, Italy fought until the end against NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, losing only by four points. After these four tests, Italy will focus on the two games against Ukraine and Georgia for the World Cup 2023 qualifiers.

Gianmarco Pozzecco has to make one final cut before finalizing the 12-man roster for EuroBasket. After the departures of Gabriele Procida, Matteo Spagnolo, John Petrucelli, and Amedeo Della Valle, the likeliest candidate to be cut from the roster is Amedeo Tessitori (Reyer Venezia), sources told BasketNews.

We already talked about the importance of Danilo Gallinari, and we definitely didn't need the first friendly games to understand how much of a key factor will be Nicolo Melli's presence.

However, if the Italian NT wants to make a deep run at the upcoming EuroBasket, their chances will rely on Simone Fontecchio and Nico Mannion.

Both of them were among the main protagonists' last summer when Italy surprised everyone by beating Serbia during the pre-Olympic tournament and then reached the quarter-finals at the Olympic games. No, the duo has already shown how much their performances can impact the national team.

Simone Fontecchio

The Italian wing was probably the best surprise of last summer's run. Capitalizing on the wake of the great season with ALBA Berlin, Fontecchio became a key player for the Italian national team and started to make a name for himself.

He averaged 19.3 points, 3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45% from 3-point in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. After another solid season with Baskonia and his jump to the NBA, where he'll play for the Utah Jazz, Fontecchio is now ready to lead Italy once again.

In the first four exhibition games so far, Fontecchio is averaging 18.5 points per game. He had his career-high, 24 points against France in Bologna, which he improved against Serbia in Hamburg when he scored 25 points in the 86-90 loss.

Except for the game against France in Montpellier, where he scored only 7 points, he has always scored at least 18 points. He has clearly become the go-to guy offensively for Gianmarco Pozzecco, despite the presence of a superstar like Danilo Gallinari.

His ability to create shots for himself and, at the same time, being an extremely efficient 3-point shooter on the perimeter make him a constant threat for the opponents. Fontecchio has also proven his post-game can be effective, adding another weapon to his offensive arsenal.

But it's not only a matter of technical skills and ability to leave a mark on the game. Fontecchio has grown a lot in terms of confidence in the past two years. He embraced his new role, and the opponents recognized that, giving him special treatment on the defensive end.

He has earned a different type of status and everyone, especially inside the national team, has recognized and accepted that. With Fontecchio, there's no longer room for surprises. What he's able to do on the court is something everyone in this environment knows really well.

Suppose Italy will be able to make another surprise, after the one they pulled off last summer when they won the pre-Olympic tournament in Belgrade and secured a spot in the Olympics. In that case, much will come through the hands of Simone Fontecchio, one of the new leaders of this group.

Nico Mannion

Mannion had, in some ways, an opposite path to Fontecchio's. After the great summer he had with the national team in his first major tournament representing Italy, the former Golden State Warriors point guard struggled in his first pro season in Europe with Virtus Bologna.

His season was limited by injuries and physical issues, and we rarely saw his real potential on the court. Right after the Olympic Games, Mannion contracted an intestinal virus, which restricted him greatly and caused him to lose more than 10 kilograms.

The player was forced to miss the first phase of the season, and his physical preparation was greatly affected by this problem. After recovery, Mannion didn't look like the same player we had witnessed last summer.

He lacked energy and explosiveness, and in the following months, he continued to suffer other injuries, including back problems, Covid, and a sprained ankle. By the end of the season, he became one of the last men in Virtus Bologna's rotations, barely seeing the court.

But since he re-joined the national team to prepare for EuroBasket, Mannion is looking like himself again. He was the top scorer in the last game played against the Czech Republic with 20 points, and so far, he's averaging 11.5 points per game.

Under Pozzecco, Mannion looks as confident and aggressive as we saw him last summer. Over the summer, Mannion returned to Arizona, where he grew up, and worked a lot on his body. He gained muscles, and his weight increased from 82 to 87 kilograms.

"My goal was to get back in shape after a season with multiple injuries," Mannion said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "In Arizona, I worked hard for 5 weeks, every day in the gym and on the court. Now I'm satisfied and really happy to be prepared physically and be a part of a great group."

Pozzecco, who used to be a playmaker during his career, knows how to take the best out of Mannion, and he's giving him a lot of confidence and trust.

"I love coach Pozzecco, absolutely," Mannion explained. "He was a playmaker too, and being coached by someone who used to play in your role helps you a lot. His energy is contagious. He always has a positive mindset. I think that for every player in the group, it's great to have a coach like him".

After a complex season, this is a time of redemption for Mannion. And if there is one place where the point guard has already shown that he can be decisive, it is definitely the national team.

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