2017 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Evan Fournier

The Glue Guy

The Orlando Magic are going to have a lot of balance this year. They have to.

The Magic may not have the same guy leading the team in scoring each game. It is going to be who has the hot hand and who has the best matchup. The Magic are going to expect a lot of balance among their usage rate too. Everyone is going to have their turn.

But each night Evan Fournier will have to do a lot more than simply score. His job and role is to spread the floor with his shooting and help facilitate ball movement. Fournier has always helped fill in the gaps. The offense just runs better with him on the floor.

Last year, the Magic had a 103.1 offensive rating with Fournier on the floor, 0.5 points per 100 possession better than their season average. In 2015, the Magic similarly had a 101.5 offensive rating with Fournier on the floor, nearly two points per 100 possessions better than the team’s average.

This is all to say, something about Fournier the last two years (and not necessarily his individual production) made the Magic offense work better.

He is a very unselfish player. He moves the ball well and does not force things. It is all a sign of the kind of things he provides to the team. Not to mention his floor spacing as a 3-point shooter.

Fournier does not have to be the leading scorer to be effective. He has to keep things going, no matter what the defense gives him.