Evan Fournier never found his consistency in 2019

Key Takeaways

It does not take a wildly observant fan to know Evan Fournier was inconsistent in 2019.

But the Game Score data suggests Fournier was in rarefied “Inconsistency Air.” He could truly give you nothing one night, then be an above-average shooting guard the next.

But Fournier’s defensive success, coupled with the limits to the data — some believe Hollinger’s Game Scores rely too much on scoring— pose a decent argument for ignoring the Game Score data altogether.

That goes too far. Even if Game Scores focuses too much on scoring, Fournier’s offensive performances apparently varied so wildly that he sticks out like a sore thumb when looking at the table above.

It is great Fournier improved defensively, but that cannot send his offensive reliability so far askew.

This offseason, the Magic doubled down on the roster that brought the organization its first playoff berth since 2012. Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross got paid. The team drafted another seemingly long-term project in Auburn Tigers forward Chuma Okeke. Management avoided adding point guard help but did bring in Al-Farouq Aminu to help shore up the bench.

At shooting guard, then, any improvement will have to come from within, barring a trade. It follows that another season like 2019 from Fournier will pose a setback for a team hoping to continue its upward momentum.

Hollinger’s Game Score data suggests the team simply could not rely on him, at least offensively, because on any given night, the range of his potential production was so wide.

But with Fournier proving capable of consistency in prior seasons of his career and clearly improving on defense, the Magic faithful have reasons for optimism despite Fournier’s down 2019 season offensively.

Fournier knows he can do better and if he combines his defensive improvements with offensive production of years past, it will bode well for a Magic team looking to be even noisier in 2020.