2018 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Evan Fournier

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Evan Fournier, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 08: Evan Fournier #10 of the Orlando Magic looks to make a pass on the fastbreak during the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on March 8, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

What Could Go Wrong

The Magic know exactly how Evan Fournier can go wrong. Putting him in too many isolation sets or relying too heavily on him in the pick and roll can gum up the offense. He is not a fantastic playmaker — his 3.0 assists per game were a career high — but he is slowly gaining experience and poise in those situations.

But even then, he still has a long way to go.

At Eurobasket this year, Fournier got some time to work on the ball. He was most successful when he played off the ball attacking the gaps in the defense. When he tried to force play and drive against a set defense, he often drove into the heart of the defense and got caught too deep as the defense collapsed. It would force him to put up a difficult shot or turn the ball over.

There is still that sentiment Fournier will be the Magic’s key perimeter scorer. Orlando will need some creation from Fournier. Not to mention his scoring.

And that leads to the biggest question regarding Fournier: Can the Magic be a successful team if Fournier is the team’s leading scorer? That might end up being an unfair question to ask Fournier individually. It may be a statement more about the Magic and the rest of their roster that no one else is able to step up.

Still, Fournier is going to carry a large scoring burden. How he handles it is going to be one of the key storylines for the season.

Does he try to force play and create for himself because he is the scorer? Does he try to attack the gaps on the weak side, sacrificing some of his own play and relying on others? How do the Magic balance these two sides to Fournier’s role and growth as a player?

Those are the big global questions Fournier faces this year. He is somewhere between good at what he is and highly efficient at it and probably not good enough to be the main creator or star for a team.

For now, the Magic are probably going to ask him to do more than he is capable of. And Fournier may take the fall for it if the team struggles.