Evan Fournier’s move up the scouting report has had its hiccups
Evan Fournier got moved up the scouting report with the Orlando Magic this season. He has struggled in this new role as the Magic seek to regain efficiency.
When the Orlando Magic offense is struggling, someone has to do something. It is the great flaw of the Magic’s roster. There is no one to relieve that pressure late in the shot clock. Getting consistent driving and creation have been a problem that has left the Magic at the bottom of the league rankings offensively.
The Magic have had to ask several players to expand their roles in ways they have never done before in their careers. And with that risk always comes the chance things do not work out.
Because of the roster construction, players have to soldier through.
This has largely been Evan Fournier’s season so far. The Magic’s starting shooting guard had to carry multiple heavy burdens for this team as both its best perimeter shooter and its primary offensive creator. On top of that, as the Magic’s leading scorer, he is at the top of nearly every scouting report. He gets a lot of attention.
Add in the cramped space from the Magic’s poor shooting and life was going to be very hard for Fournier this year to match his efficiency from last year even if his scoring remained the same.
"“It kind of started last year,” Fournier told Orlando Magic Daily. “It’s not totally new. It definitely is growing. Teams are focused on you, they know they’ve got to pay attention to you. I take it. I really embrace the challenge. I’m happy. At the end of the day, I’m just trying to play as good as I can. It doesn’t matter who is in front of me. I just try to make the right place."
Fournier is averaging a career-high 16.9 points per game. But his shooting is the worst of his three years in Orlando. Fournier is hitting on 43.4 percent of his overall field goals and a career-worst 34.5 percent on 3-pointers.
Fournier’s usage rate this year jumped to a career-high 23.6 percent. A number more befitting a player who is the primary option offensively.
But by all measures, Fournier has had to fight more for his points than ever before.
According to NBA.com’s Player Tracking stats, Fournier averages 7.0 drives per game where he shoots 49.5 percent on 3.8 field goal attempts per game. Last year, he averaged only 5.6 drives per game, shooting 48.8 percent on 3.2 field goal attempts per game.
He actually drove more often and was more efficient with his drives than Victor Oladipo. It probably was part of the Magic’s decision to stick with Fournier.
Driving more asks Fournier to pass more and create for others. His assist rate (16.2 percent) and assists per game (3.3 per game) are career heights. But his turnovers are also up to 2.2 per game and his turnover rate is the highest since arriving in Orlando.
And his shooting has obviously suffered from the lack of space and the added attention. Fournier is scoring just 4.0 points per game in catch-and-shoot situations, according to NBA.com’s Player Tracking database. He 37.8 percent of his shots, but thanks to 3-pointers has a 54.1 percent effective field goal percentage.
Fournier shot 40.7 percent in catch-and-shoot situations and scored 4.7 points per game in those situations last year.
In addition to all this, Fournier has had to take more pull-up jumpers. He averages 3.3 points per game on 35.3 percent shooting with 4.0 pull-up jumpers per game this year. Last year he took only 2.8 pull-up jumpers per game averaging 2.4 points per game on these plays.
Fournier’s shooting has simply become inefficient as he has had to be on the ball more.
There has been a clear adjustment for Fournier that has not always been easy.
"“It’s a different look,” Nikola Vucevic told Orlando Magic Daily. “When you start a game you want to see what the defense is going to do and what they give you. You have to be more careful and read the game better. I thought he was doing a pretty good job of it. He is definitely getting more attention than he did in the past. That’s just part of it as you grow as a player. And you want that. Just making the right reads and making sure you take your time and not rush into things."
Like everything else, there is some solace after the All-Star Break.
Orlando Magic
Fournier is averaging 17.6 points per game and shooting 35.7 percent from beyond the arc (his overall field goal shooting is down to 42.7 percent). His usage rate is down too since the break.
It would appear Fournier is finding a better balance for his role. Not to mention he seems to have shaken off any ill effects of the heel injury that had him miss 12 of 17 games in December and January.
There are still plenty of moments where Fournier looks ill-suited for this role.
Against the Chicago Bulls, Fournier had several drives that seemed a bit wild. He was able to take the open space, but unable to finish at the basket.
That remains a consistent problem. Another sign Fournier may need a more reduced role or more space to operate or another primary ball handler.
Elfrid Payton‘s emergence in the last few games certainly helps relieve that pressure. Elfrid Payton is a much better engine for creation and eventual efficiency. He will do a better job getting Fournier the ball open behind the 3-point line or to set up the ball reversals and rotations Fournier is so good at attacking.
The Magic still have a big creation problem to address. And they have to find a way to put players in better positions to succeed.
Some of that will still come down to players developing themselves. And Fournier got a lot of lessons this season in improving.
"“I’m getting better year after year, that’s the positive thing,” Fournier said. “Can I do better? Definitely. On both ends of the floor. As a player, it’s not always easy to have a different coach and a different system. It was definitely a challenge this season. I’m getting better. And probably the thing I’m most happy about is how I got better on rebounds."
Fournier has had to adjust more than just about any player on the roster. Playing shooting guard against was certainly a struggle going up against speedier players. Playing more small forward has proven somewhat more effective. So too has reducing his time on the ball and using his spacing and shooting a bit more.
Next: Elfrid Payton fits Orlando Magic's offense perfectly
For this team, Fournier’s scoring and shooting threat are still vital. The Magic need Fournier’s production to succeed. But the adjustment and moving Fournier up the scouting report has certainly been a major storyline in what has been a disappointing season.