3-Year NBA Veteran Makes Detroit Pistons History vs Pelicans

Simone Fontecchio had a standout night against the Pelicans.

Mar 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (19) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic (17) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Simone Fontecchio’s first full season with the Detroit Pistons has been a quiet campaign. After being a diamond in the rough for a short stint amid the 14-68 run last season, the veteran sharpshooter has been less involved while in a role coming off the bench.

On Monday night, Fontecchio put together his season-high in a blowout game over the New Orleans Pelicans. In the process of his efficient outing, Fontecchio ended up becoming the first player in Pistons history to achieve a stat line of 23 points, seven rebounds, and five threes while shooting 90 percent from the field.

Simone Fontecchio vs NOLA:

23 PTS
7 REB
5 3P
90 FG%

First player in franchise history with those numbers in a game. pic.twitter.com/Sl5BYLkzyU

— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 18, 2025

Fontecchio was a critical presence off the bench on Monday night as the Pistons dominated the Pelicans by 46 points.

This season, Fontecchio has appeared in 62 games. Each of his appearances were off the bench. Seeing the court for roughly 17 minutes per game, Fontecchio has averaged six points while shooting 34 percent.

Compared to last season, Fontecchio is certainly having a down year. At the start of the 2023-2024 campaign, Fontecchio appeared in 50 games with the Utah Jazz. He started in 34 matchups and saw the court for over 20 minutes per night.

Fontecchio produced nine points per game on 39 percent shooting during his second season with the Jazz. At the 2024 trade deadline, the Pistons acquired Fontecchio. In a season where they played the role of sellers, Detroit bought in on Fontecchio’s shooting value.

After the Italian forward averaged 15 points in 16 games on 43 percent shooting down the stretch after the deadline, the Pistons re-signed Fontecchio on a multi-year deal over the summer. His playing time might be cut, but the Pistons have still believed in Fontecchio’s value off the bench. Like most of his teammates, he looks forward to gaining his first NBA playoff experience next month.

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