Simone Fontecchio is hopeful hot shooting game is 'not a one night stand'

OKLAHOMA CITY — At long last, Simone Fontecchio felt like he could breathe again.

That feeling started midway through the first quarter on Friday when he saw his first 3-pointer go down. It only grew a few minutes later when he made a second.

When asked what it felt like to see those shots fall, Fontecchio didn't need to say a word. He just slowly and deeply exhaled. Translation: sweet relief.

Fontecchio went 4-for-6 from deep Friday in Utah's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, beginning what he hopes to be a turnaround in the final weeks of the regular season.

"Eventually they've got to go in," Fontecchio said after the game. "They can't always go out. I've tried to stay consistent, just trying to be confident in myself, confident in my shooting."

But confidence can be hard to come by in the midst of a rough shooting stretch. Fontecchio was shooting a hair under 29% from 3-point range on the season entering Friday, which included a 13.3% stretch over the last nine games — the games in which he has become a conistent member of the team's rotation.

Fontecchio came to the NBA billed as a big shooting swingman. In his last three seasons overseas, he shot over 40% from 3-point range each year, with a shot chart filled with spot-up catch-and-shoot jumpers, and shots on the move. Those same shots just haven't fallen at the same rate in the NBA.

"I watch him shoot every day. I see him put the work in; I've seen him make a lot," Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. "I believe in his shooting. I think there's been some variance this year based on him being in and out of the rotation and not having a ton of opportunity. … There's way more evidence that would suggest that Simone is a good shooter than would suggest that he's a bad shooter."

It's likely a bit harder to get clean looks in the NBA — closeouts come faster, defenders are taller, the different ball might even playing a factor — but even those variables don't fully explain Fontecchio's struggles this season.

So what does? It can probably start with the weight that Fontecchio felt come off his shoulders after seeing a few deep looks go in on Friday.

"We are all human, so it's normal," he said when talking about the relief he felt. "It's not easy, especially when you don't play that much, to have that high level of confidence. That's one thing I knew I had to have once I stepped on the court in the NBA; it's tough. You're not always at the level, but that's our job, so that's what you gotta keep trying to do it."

Fontecchio credits his teammates and coaches for helping him remain confident. Even during the slump over the last month, he's attempted nearly four 3-pointers a game, mostly due to his team telling him to keep shooting and shooting and shooting.

"I know what that feels like," said Lauri Markkanen. "He's shown he can put the ball in the hoop, and he can shoot the heck out of it. Sometimes you go through those periods, just like how I started the year — I couldn't hit a shot in November — it's just trusting the process. He's been putting in the work every day; the numbers will even out. We are not worried about that."

That is why Fontecchio is hopeful Friday's game will be the start to a strong close to the season. The weight has been lifted; he can finally breathe again.

"Hopefully, it's not a one night stand," Fontecchio said. "Hopefully the shooting's back, the good feelings are back."

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