Jazz Media Day blog: No, Joe Ingles is not Simone Fontecchio's idol

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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz officially tipoff their preparations for the 2022-23 season Monday with their annual media day.

Follow along as the likes of Collin Sexton, Jarred Vanderbilt, Lauri Markkanen and a dozen other new Jazz players share their thoughts on what is sure to be a different season than the previous few ones.

Monday, 02:42 pm

Joe Ingles is not Simone Fontecchio's idol

Simone Fontecchio would like to clear something up: Joe Ingles is not his idol.Last summer during the Tokyo Olympics, Fontecchio was quoted as saying that Ingles was his "idol." That prompted the following response from Ingles at the time."I'm whose idol?" Ingles asked. "... He needs a better idol. I'd never seen him play before. Watching the scout (report) for the last game and obviously playing against him tonight, we were just Googling where he played this year. I'm surprised that he is not in one of the biggest teams in Europe."

Fontecchio said there was a bit of misunderstanding. The Italian forward said he liked the role Ingles played. Respectful? Yes. But hardly, idolization."The reporter that asked me that question misunderstood that Joe was my idol," Fontecchio said with a smile. "It wasn't like that. Of course, I admire him as a player and as a person, and I love to play against him last year in the Olympics."And now, he's hoping to carve out a similar path in the NBA. Like Ingles beforehim, Fontecchio has spent much of his career in Europe before finding a path to the NBA. And Fontecchio is hoping his time in Utah can also lead to a long NBA career."Signing with the Jazz, that was unbelievable," the 26-year-old wing said. "Felt like a dream come true. I always wanted to become an NBA player since I grew up, and it's been a long journey. So happy and excited to be here and, of course, I've got a lot to learn, got a lot of things to learn, but I feel pretty ready and prepared."When asked to give a scouting report on himself, Fontecchio said he can shoot the ball, run the floor, play defense and feels like his intensity can be an asset. As for the thing he needs to improve on? "My ball handling, being able to play with the ball, pick and rolls, reads," he said.He might be able to pick up a few more things from Ingles, after all — idol or not.

Monday, 02:20 pm

Jordan Clarkson says team breakup was a 'sense of failure'

As Jordan Clarkson went on his world tour this summer — traveling to such places as Paris and Manilla — he heard all the reports surrounding the Utah Jazz."I mean, when the whole world and media every damn second on the TV you turn it on are talking about someone getting traded on the team, it's like how true is it?" Clarkson said. "I wasn't expecting it to happen. I thought it was just some smoke, but it's part of the game."What's that old adage: Where there's smoke there's fire? Well, there was plenty of fire.And the smoke might not have cleared yet. Clarkson has been involved in trade rumors ever since Utah's teardown began, but for him, he said it hasn't impacted his summer — and it won't have an affect on his training camp."I think mentally I'm cool with the uncertainty," he said. "… All I could do is put the jersey on and go compete … and that's what I'm gonna do."Clarkson did say, however, that the team splitting up did come with a "sense of failure.""In terms of our team, kind of like dispersing, or whatever you call it, we kind of got blown up and everybody's in their own separate direction, I think it was just a sense of failure," Clarkson said. "I mean, we tried for three years. I think the year before last year I thought we could actually compete for a championship."Then coming back last year, and losing again in the first round, it's not good for anybody's mental health, obviously. And I understand it, but. I mean, this sucks."Still, he's ready for what's to come and has hopes to pick up some wins along the way, too."You can't go out there and just be like, 'Oh, I'm about to lose like,'" Clarkson said. "I'm gonna go out there and put on the line every time I step on the floor."

Monday, 12:21 pm

Lauri Markkanen hopeful his Eurobasket production can continue into NBA season

Lauri Markkanen was one of the biggest stars of Eurobasket, scoring 27.9 points (second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo) as he led his native Finland to the quarterfinals.He shot 40.5% from 3-point range and averaged 8.1 rebounds as he spearheaded the Finish attack. The question as he enters his first year with the Utah Jazz: Can that type of production translate back to the NBA?He thinks it can."I kind of showed myself that I can do multiple things on the floor on both ends, and so it kind of built my confidence back up and so I feel ready to go for the year," he said.Finland ran everything through Markkanen, with the 7-footer controlling the ball and the offense. He's not sure if that will be his role in Utah, but he'd be open to it."Obviously, it's gonna be up to coach on what's the way we're going to be playing, but, like I said, I feel confident and I think that showed the way I could play basketball. So I'm coming in confident knowing that I'm able to do that," he said. "So, obviously, it's just now learning that teammates and system and coaches and players play the game the right way."

Monday, 11:28 am

Mike Conley thinks he already would have been traded

Mike Conley said his summer was like a roller coaster. Jazz fans can likely relate to that.Conley is the last player remaining from last season's usual starting lineup. And once Rudy Gobert was traded, there was a bit of a cloud on his future with the team.So how did he handle it all?"Just try not to think too much about it," he said. "Try to just concentrate on work and family and it'll all take care of itself."As of now, Conley expects to be with the Jazz as it enters a rebuild. He said he thinks if he was going to be traded then it already would have happened. But he adds in the obvious caveat that anything can happen at any time.While a rebuild isn't what he expected to be a part of when he re-upped with the Jazz last summer, he's trying to take it in stride. He said his family loves it in Utah, and even if he were to be traded that they would likely stay in Salt Lake City for the season.As of now, he said he was "10 toes in" with the Jazz — even if the team likely won't compete for a championship. And he enjoys taking on a mentor role, too. Now, he just will be taking on a much bigger one. "Regardless, if we had one or two young guys or 10 young guys, I was going to do my best to help those guys," Conley said. "Obviously, our teams shaped a lot differently this year. So I'll be kind of mentoring a lot of guys. I just want to get the best and most out of each person and to help them understand their ability and how high they can go in this league."

Monday, 11:06 am

Rudy Gay wants to play

Make no mistake, Rudy Gay wants to see the court.He also wanted to see it more last season."I want to play. Imagine you (reporters) coming into this room and not being able to ask questions," Gay said. "That's how I felt last year. So I came here to play; I want to play."Gay was open about the struggles of last season, where he was supplanted in Quin Snyder's rotation by Juancho Hernangomez amid a disappointing season.In essence, last year's struggles wasn't what he thought he was signing up for when he came to the Jazz. He said, though, he used those shortcomings as a catalyst for a summer that pushed him to go back to fundamentals.Because of that work he said he's entering training camp ready to play a role — even if he's not sure what that will be."I don't know what this season is going to have," he said. "I don't know how it's going to turn out but I can control myself and how I come into camp and if I'm ready and also I can control what I say to these young guys. So just try to do what I can."When it comes to the young players, he said it's exciting to see what new players can do and can contribute. He also sees it as a chance to become a better leader.It's exciting to see the new guys and what they can do and contribute. Also a chance to be a better leader.As for his future with the team, Gay said he's not sure how things will end up."I don't know the fate, but while we're here we are going to work," he said.

Monday, 11:06 am

Cody Zeller eager to help young Jazz bigs

Cody Zeller has had some rough luck during his nine seasons in the NBA. Since being drafted with the No. 4 pick in 2013, he has had eight surgeries, including a knee procedure that ended his season last January. So for him, he's using a chance to be at an NBA training camp as a way to prove he's healthy. Zeller is on a non-guaranteed contract, and will have to beat out plenty of competition in order to stick with the Jazz. But he's not worried about that on the eve of training camp. "It's just to show for one that I'm healthy," Zeller said. "... So I just had some unfortunate luck but I'm healthy right now. And so I just want to show in training camp that I'm healthy and hopefully get back to this."But also, he's excited about the chance to help mentor some of the younger big men, including rookie Walker Kessler, on the Jazz's revamped roster. "I was fortunate because I had a lot of good veteran guys when I was coming into the league. It really helped kind of set the foundation for my career and so I want to give back to them as well and hopefully help them along," Zeller said.And he said that this season could lay a similar foundation for the team as a whole. No, the Jazz aren't expected to win a lot of games, but he thinks the habits formed this season could payoff down the road."It's such a long season, regardless of whether you're winning or losing or anything else," he said. "But it's important to play the right way. And I think this is just setting the foundation for what the organization will be in the next couple of years. But it doesn't happen overnight. It happens through hard work and habits, through playing the right way and having the right habits and all that. So, really laying the foundation for that starts now."

Monday, 09:37 am

Will Hardy says Jazz will play in a way that represents city

Will Hardy said the last few months have been a "whirlwind" as he's gotten into his first head coaching job."It's been really exciting to start to get to know the team, the city; get my family moved out here," Hardy said. "That's been awesome. I feel far more settled now that I did two months ago. Ready to get to work."Here's some experts of the Jazz's new coach interview session during Monday's media dayOn what excites him about the team:"They're a really energetic group. I would say there's a collective toughness. We have a lot of guys that have a chip on their shoulder. And I think that's really powerful to have guys that are competitive and feel like they have something to prove."On preparing amid all the trades this summer:"When things change, things change, and so it's our responsibility to adapt and be flexible and to be flexible with my leadership and, again, focus on who's here and what we have."On his offensive style:"I'd like to play a little bit of tempo, for sure with this group. And again, I would like for us to play a style where everybody's involved. I don't think that it would be productive for us to have one player dominate the ball with this group."On training camp competition:"I think training camp's gonna tell us a lot about our team. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm most excited about this training camp is because we have a lot of capable players, and we'll see how they perform."On his pitch to Jazz fans:"This team is going to be representative of this organization, and it's going to be something that's reflected with the fan base. We will be tough. We will play with passion."

Monday, 09:17 am

Zanik says veterans are bought in to new era

Here are some highlights from general manger Justin Zanik's interview session:On the new era:"What I'm really excited about is to start implementing a program and a culture. … I'm just really excited for the journey. We have a bunch of new players that I think you'll really enjoy getting to know. … As we kind of start this new era, just got to go with it and see day by day and watch them build brick by brick."It's almost like the first day of school again — the rookies with backpacks and getting their pictures taken and really excited to get started with practice tomorrow."On the returning veterans:"Their character, their leadership, it's the same. They're Utah Jazz men and they love being here. We're excited to have them and help them lead this now younger group, and teach them about what it means to be a Utah Jazz man and what it means to represent the city, the state and the organization. And there's been nothing but total buy in from those guys."On outside expectations:"Our veterans, they're here, they're in shape, they're ready to play, they're going to play. We're going to try and win every single game from jump. So any other projections about the season like it's a new experience, we're gonna grow together, and we'll see where that journey takes us but I'm really excited to see these young guys grow."On the offseason:"Danny (Ainge) and I spoke about this about two or three weeks ago. I don't want to speak for him, but in his long, absolutely Hall of Fame distinguished career, this is the craziest and longest offseason he's ever had, and it certainly is for me. So if I had to describe it in one word, I would call it never ending."On potential moves:"I'm really excited every day to come in and see what type of team this is and that we grow, and then based on what we need, what we want, what we're trying to grow for the future. Then, obviously, you've seen it's an organization that's not afraid to make change."

Jazz Media Day blog: No, Joe Ingles is not Simone Fontecchio's idol

Updated - Sept. 26, 2022 at 2:40 p.m. | Posted - Sept. 26, 2022 at 9:23 a.m.

Joe Ingles is not Simone Fontecchio's idol

Jordan Clarkson says team breakup was a 'sense of failure'

Lauri Markkanen hopeful his Eurobasket production can continue into NBA season

Mike Conley thinks he already would have been traded

Rudy Gay wants to play

Cody Zeller eager to help young Jazz bigs

Will Hardy says Jazz will play in a way that represents city

Zanik says veterans are bought in to new era

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Jazz Media Day blog: No, Joe Ingles is not Simone Fontecchio's idol

Updated - Sept. 26, 2022 at 2:40 p.m. | Posted - Sept. 26, 2022 at 9:23 a.m.

Joe Ingles is not Simone Fontecchio's idol

Jordan Clarkson says team breakup was a 'sense of failure'

Lauri Markkanen hopeful his Eurobasket production can continue into NBA season

Mike Conley thinks he already would have been traded

Rudy Gay wants to play

Cody Zeller eager to help young Jazz bigs

Will Hardy says Jazz will play in a way that represents city

Zanik says veterans are bought in to new era

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