Simone Fontecchio is proving that he belongs in the NBA / News - Basketnews.com

In his second year with the Utah Jazz, Simone Fontecchio is starting to play more consistently and has been a steady member of the starting lineup since November. The improvement compared to last season is pretty clear, and everybody is starting to understand that Fontecchio really belongs in the league.

Credit: Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

When, in the summer of 2022,Simone Fontecchiosigned a deal with theUtah Jazz, it almost felt like a natural step for him.

The Italian wing was coming from a couple of seasons in which he had turned from an intriguing player to one of the most desired players on the European continent.

Not only at the club level, but even with the Italian national team, Fontecchio went from being one of the guys to being "the guy" on the roster, the most dangerous offensive option for the team coached byGianmarco Pozzecco.

So it wasn't that surprising that Fontecchio brought the NBA's attention. But as with almost all rookies from Europe, the beginning of the American adventure for Fontecchio has not been easy.

This season, he had also begun somewhat along the lines of the previous one for the Italian player. There were some games with 10-15 minutes of use in which he showed glimpses of good things and other games in which he did not play a single minute.

Discontinuity seemed to have taken center stage again this year. However, things started to change when

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