Evan Fournier could be the answer for Orlando Magic in the clutch
The Orlando Magic have been in numerous clutch situations so far this year and one player has emerged with a strong showing: Evan Fournier.
It would have been crazy a year ago to think Evan Fournier would be the one to size up Tayshaun Prince late in a game. It might be crazier even to think Fournier would even be in the game at that point.
And crazier still to think there would be supreme confidence Fournier would make the shot.
Through the first 20 games of the season, Evan Fournier has emerged as the Magic’s most consistent offensive player — averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game and a 53.4 percent effective field goal percentage, first among guards on the Magic roster.
Fournier’s emerging play has already made the Magic make some difficult decisions. And that is largely because Fournier has earned that trust that he will do the right thing and play with the right energy level.
“We have found we like the ball in his hands,” said Scott Skiles after the Magic’s win over the Timberwolves in November. “In key moments, he’s usually going to make a pretty good decision with it. On a night when we had a lot of balls in the paint that we missed, his plays are big.”
Fournier has stepped up in numerous ways. His late shot against Minnesota last month was only one sign of the trust that has been built up.
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The end of games so far this year have been an inconsistent adventure. Typically they always are as late games tend to be 50/50 propositions.
What has become clear though is the Magic have several options and several players have stepped up. Fournier had his shot against the Timberwolves. Victor Oladipo had his shots against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nikola Vucevic against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tobias Harris has his clutch clip reel. Elfrid Payton stepped up with some big shots against Minnesota on the road.
It even came back around to Fournier against the Jazz last week.
The Magic have played their fair share of close games and have gone to different places to try and finish them off.
Orlando has played 13 games this season that have been within five points in the final three minutes and 12 of those have remained within five points heading into the final minute. Looking at the final three minutes split, the Magic are a predictable 7-6 with a net rating of +10.8 points per 100 possessions.
It is a relatively small sample size — obviously, only 42 minutes in 13 games — but that is a good sign the Magic have found ways to win those games.
Who is delivering for the Magic though in this situation (+/- five points within three minutes)?
| Player | Minutes | Points | FGA | eFG% | Reb.% | Net Rtg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Oladipo | 29 | 15 | 14 | 39.3 | 15.2 | +9.9 |
| Evan Fournier | 31 | 24 | 13 | 73.1 | 1.8 | +10.1 |
| Nikola Vucevic | 23 | 6 | 11 | 27.3 | 15.7 | +9.3 |
| Tobias Harris | 34 | 16 | 10 | 30.0 | 7.4 | +16.0 |
This is not definitive at all. Late-game situations tend to see teams get tight or run more isolation-heavy sets (something that statistically does not make sense). These are small sample sizes.
But a pattern does emerge. In the numerous close games the Magic have played this season, Evan Fournier has produced the most offensively. He remains efficient and makes shots when his team calls for them.
“I’ve always known that he’s one of our stronger men and tough guys,” Harris said after the Magic’s home win over the Timberwolves. “The shot he made, the shots that he made all game and his defense just helped us also. We know we can rely on Evan for those shots and those plays. He’s going to play as hard as he can every single night, so it was good to see.”
Fournier has been left out of the clutch lineups of late. Scott Skiles likely knows these splits, but it is not important during the course of the game.
While the Magic have made an effort to have a stable rotation lately, Skiles still will roll with the players who are performing well and give his team the best chance to win. Lately, that has been Victor Oladipo instead of Evan Fournier.
The numbers suggest Fournier has been valuable in the lineup as a scorer. He is not afraid of these moments. But the course of a game may suggest Fournier does not have it on that particular day or that someone else has played at a higher level.
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It is clear “clutch” minutes are earned on this team during the course of the previous 43 minutes. Considering the Magic have played 13 of their 20 games within five points in the final five minutes, there are plenty of these opportunities.
So far, Orlando has done well. The team is slightly above .500 which is what is expected.
“I think it’s good for our team, but we know that we’re better and we can be better,” Harris said in mid-November. “That’s what keeps us motivated and keeps pushing us. We’ve got to get better also. We show great signs of being a great team out there, it’s just about putting a whole game together.”
Since Harris said that, the Magic have come through in the clutch in many situations. They have won games on their strong play when the pressure gets ramped up. There have been numerous times this season players have noted they would have lost similar games last season.
And clutch lineups need a bit of everything. The team is clearly better with Tobias Harris on the floor even if he is not building up counting stats.
Orlando should continue to try to ride the hot hand in its lineups and go with what works. Fournier is still a player who creates less for himself and does better when others are creating for him. And his presence on the floor as a good shooter helps spread the floor for Oladipo and others.
Earlier in the year, though, it was clear the Magic were turning to Fournier. Skiles said the play against the Lakers was designed for Fournier but Metta World Peace tackled covered him well, forcing the ball into Vucevic for the game winner.
Next: Victor Oladipo has established his niche off the bench
Finding a good clutch lineup is an art form that does and should go game to game. The numbers though show Fournier has been the Magic’s best scoring option late in games.