Evan Fournier reflected on the NBA season with a French TV show a few weeks ago and said he hopes to be part of the Orlando Magic turning the corner.
Evan Fournier probably should not be a team’s leading scorer. Even he might be willing to admit that. That is still the role the Orlando Magic needed him to play.
And after a year where he struggled to fit into that role following Victor Oladipo‘s trade, Evan Fournier bounced back and had a career year.
He averaged a career-high 17.8 points per game and shot 53.8 percent effective field goal percentage. Everything seemed to return to that efficient level that helped him earn a big five-year deal.
The only element missing was the winning. The equation the team had come up with still did not add too many wins. It was easy to feel the disappointment from Fournier after the season with the reality of winning just 25 games. Especially after the way the team started.
It has left the whole franchise in flux. But ask Evan Fournier and he still wants to be in Orlando and a part of the solution for the franchise. It still matters to him at the end of the day.
He spoke to the French YouTube show First Team while he was in France in late April about his season and the Magic’s future (nothing gets lost in translation this time . . . I hope):
Obviously, things have moved on from last year already. Everyone is looking forward to the offseason. And the first thing there is the new coach.
Fournier had his own prediction there.
He said he felt like the team needed a coach with some playing experience. Someone who can understand the fatigue of the players and their experience to help them reel things back in during adversity.
Evan Fournier said coach Frank Vogel did a good job building continuity at the beginning of the season but could not get things back under control as the team struggled with injuries.
He said he believed the Magic would hire Jerry Stackhouse, citing his previous relationship with president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman. Stackhouse was a popular pick to be the head coach of the Magic during the early stages of the search. But as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports, the Magic have not yet interviewed him — if they ever will.
The idea of going after a former player though was a popular notion among other players.
Fournier also commented on the changes that have occurred behind the scenes, confirming the massive dismissals Weltman undertook shortly after the season. Not even the team chefs were spared.
It seems like the team is turning a new leaf. That will surely mean roster changes. But Fournier seemed hopeful he will be part of getting the Magic on the right foot. He said he does not want to be someone chasing championships and it would be meaningful for him to accomplish that.
The future is still uncertain for him and for the Magic.
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Fournier shed some light too on what he thinks about the NBA Playoffs including the potential for the Houston Rockets’ matchup with the Golden State Warriors.