Benched Evan Fournier: Bad for him, good for the Magic

Their are several benefits the Orlando Magic can reap with their recent move of Evan Fournier to the bench. The biggest is pairing the Magic’s future backcourt.

A significant shift in the direction of the Orlando Magic’s rotation took place 11 games ago.  An 11-point, 11-assist outing from Elfrid Payton in a loss to the Utah Jazz on December 19 may have been the straw that broke Jacque Vaughn‘s thinking on the starting five going forward.

This meant that a player who became a revelation through his first 28 games in a Magic uniform had to go to the bench. No one expected Evan Fournier to average near 15 points per game, but that is exactly what happened.

During an early season slate that saw the Magic play without Victor Oladipo, Fournier was critical to keeping the team afloat.  However, once Oladipo returned and Payton continued his development, the backcourt became a muddied picture in need of clarity.

Fournier would have to go to the bench.

Starting the rookie Payton and second-year Oladipo together was the move that had to happen for their future growth as teammates. One could also see Fournier’s skill set assimilating well to the sixth man role, but his numbers were bound to take a dip.

His usage re-adjustment though does have a positive ripple effect through the Magic roster.

If the Magic franchise is going to be a success with this group long-term, a Payton-Oladipo backcourt is the only answer. Clearly, Oladipo is not a point guard and general manager Rob Hennigan did not select Payton in the lottery (or give up two first round picks) to come off the bench.

Allowing Oladipo to be free of those distribution responsibilities has completely changed his offensive outlook.  He has three 20-point games since the lineup shift, after notching just four in his first 20 games.

Oladipo had his first turnover-free game of the season on Wednesday at Denver. Orlando needs him to attack and have scoring at the top of his priority list. So far, he has shown to be that player since the move.

Almost as important to Oladipo’s liberation is fostering Payton’s growth. He is not going to be perfect midway through his first year at the most demanding position in basketball, but learning under fire provides excellent experience.

Payton already is much more capable of being a facilitator for his teammates than Oladipo was or is. While statistically the Louisiana-Lafayette product still appears to be struggling with a starting role, his opportunity is a net positive for the present and the future.

This move was made just prior to a brutal six games in nine day stretch for the Magic, so the 3-8 record since the switch, including a current six-game losing streak, does not provide any tangible evidence of its value. It certainly hurts the first five from a shooting standpoint as well, with both Fournier and Channing Frye now entering games in the same wave off the bench.

That injection of shooting though does artificially inflate the depth of the bench. There was also some evidence of Orlando emerging from their funk in the loss to Portland on Saturday when they were without Fournier and Tobias Harris.

A Magic roster with plenty of moving pieces and Fournier’s strong play did not make the decision three weeks ago any easier on Vaughn, but he came to the necessary conclusion for the future of the franchise. Despite Fournier’s dip in production, the move to the bench has benefited the team.

Next: Is Evan Fournier the Magic's most underappreciated player?