22. Evan Fournier (2015-Present)
Evan Fournier would admit to himself and to the media, he did not have the season he hoped for in 2019.
The team thrived and Evan Fournier’s game grew in some unexpected ways. He was a better defender and playmaker than he had ever been in his career to that point. There was no doubt he improved on what were previously weaknesses seemingly holding him back.
But Fournier is on the floor for his shooting. For a team that lacked a lot of shooting, Fournier was the team’s best shooting. And he could never find his rhythm in 2019, shooting a career-low 34.0 percent in the regular season and even worse 23.5 percent in the playoffs.
Fournier would acknowledge this is not good enough. He seemed as frustrated as anyone that he could not right the ship.
For fans, it was seemingly another thing to put on the ledger against Fournier. With Nikola Vucevic becoming an All-Star, Evan Fournier quickly became the scapegoat.
Going with Evan this time. His contract makes people really not like him but if you look past that he is actually a good player and respected around the league.
— Stephen Cameron (@Stephen0610) August 14, 2019
DJ is going to win but I went with Evan. Maybe it's this past year but he gets way too much hate. People unfairly compare him to Oladipo because we "picked" him over Dipo. He does a lot of good things on the floor. Always plays hard.
— Andy's Magic Minute (@AndyMagicMinute) August 14, 2019
He was the player the Magic seemingly chose over Victor Oladipo in the summer of 2016, receiving a four-year deal at $17 million per year the same summer the team dealt the soon-to-be All-Star. He was a player who was consistent and put up solid scoring numbers but was not an All-Star. Fournier was seemingly always the odd man out.
And now he is the weak link. The guy who seemingly does not fit the Magic’s future plans and was the weak link in the lineup. At least for the moment.
That all might still be true. Fournier’s future with the team is still a bit of a mystery. He has a lot of work to do to make good on a frustrating 2019 season.
But Fournier has been more solid than fans probably want to admit. In his five seasons with the Magic, he has averaged 15.5 points per game with a 52.3 percent effective field goal percentage. He has been a more-than-solid 36.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Fournier is not a standout player, but he is more solid than the prevailing narratives about his play would suggest. He is certainly consistent enough to believe he will bounce back this coming season and be a benefit for the Magic as they look to take the next step.
Fournier is someone who should get more of his due.