Detroit Pistons Sharpshooter Offers Pre-Camp Injury Update

What's the latest on Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio?

Feb 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) defends Detroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (19) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a 16-game run with the Detroit Pistons, veteran sharpshooter Simone Fontecchio saw his season end prematurely due to a setback. At that point, Fontecchio’s future depended on what happened in free agency.

The 28-year-old was a restricted prospect this past summer. As expected, the Pistons made a qualifying offer before the opening of the free agency market. While Fontecchio was expected to receive interest from teams on the hunt for a reliable deep threat, all signs were pointing to a reunion for Fontecchio and Detroit.

Without a doubt, the Italian forward put pen to paper to return to the Pistons for another run. The only concern left was whether he would be healthy for the start of the season or not.

Over the offseason, Fontecchio underwent a procedure on his toe. When the Pistons confirmed the surgery took place, the team made it clear Fontecchio was expected to be cleared to return to action for training camp in 2024.

On Monday, the veteran forward addressed his health.

"I was able to get back to full 5-on-5 after three months, so that’s the end of August,” Fontecchio told reporters on Monday, according to Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press. “It’s been a month since I’ve been playing 5-on-5. It feels good, the foot is healed, and I’m excited about it."

Fontecchio’s time with the Pistons has been short, but he showed a lot of promise in 16 games. Seeing the court for nearly 31 minutes each night, Fontecchio produced 15 points on 48 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent shooting from three. He also accounted for four rebounds and two assists per game.

Prior to his run with the Pistons, Fontecchio spent nearly two years with the Utah Jazz. In 2022-2023, Fontecchio averaged six points and two rebounds as a 27-year-old rookie. Before getting dealt to Detroit, he put up nine points per game while hitting on nearly 40 percent of his threes.

As he gets healthier and continues to grow chemistry with the Pistons teammates, Fontecchio is looking forward to having a major impact on the young team this season.