Ranking every Utah Jazz player by how impactful they can be this year

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SALT LAKE CITY UT- APRIL 8: Simone Fontecchio #16 of the Utah Jazz grabs a rebound from the Denver Nuggets during the second half of their game April 8, 2023 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement(Photo by Chris Gardner/ Getty Images) /

14. Simone Fontecchio

Simone Fontecchio looked good in the FIBA World Cup, helping lead Italy to a nice showing. There was some belief from us that he may crack into the rotation with how well he played but that doesn’t seem likely to happen. Unlike some on the team, Fontecchio isn’t that far down the depth chart. He’s right behind Lauri Markkanen and maybe Ochai Agbaji, depending on if the team feels Agbaji can replace Markkanen for a spell.

But that’s just it; if Markkanen is out for any real spell, the team will likely just push someone like Agbaji or John Collins into his spot more than likely. And that’s because Fontecchio, like Omer Yurtseven before him, has just not impressed people with his preseason performances.

He’s done a solid job, nothing to shake a stick at, but when you’re talking about being good enough to replace Markkanen in the event of an injury, that’s a tall order and one that Fontecchio has not proven he can do in the NBA. As with the rest of the players so far on this list, if Fontecchio is playing significant minutes for the Utah Jazz, something terrible has in fact gone wrong.

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