Orlando Magic: Evan Fournier, Unlikely Hero

Before this NBA season began, the Orlando Magic had several key questions hanging over them. None of these things were particularly bad, and most centered on either who would make the starting lineup, the rotation in general or if this team would make a big leap defensively.

What exactly to do with Evan Fournier was a less pressing issue. Coming off an average season last year in which he was used modestly (He started 32 of the 58 games he was involved in), expectations weren’t high about what he could bring to this team.

I have to admit I was more than a little surprised to see him begin the season as a starter, as I felt his offensive game and ability to get hot in a hurry were more suited to coming off the bench. I covered his poor start in some detail last week here, and toyed with the idea that second year forward Aaron Gordon would replace him in the starting lineup before long, his energy and rebounding skills being something head coach Scott Skiles would likely want on his starting unit.

When Fournier’s contract was not extended by the team when the deadline passed earlier in the week, I wasn’t surprised. By becoming a restricted free agent next summer, there didn’t look like there’d be a lot of interest in the guy, especially as he began the season as a liability defensively and posting a Player Efficiency Rating of 8.2 (the league average is 15, ouch).

On top of that, by not committing to the Frenchman, the team could put money into potentially signing other players to the team and then re-signing him afterwards, ensuring that it would not go against their cap space. A smart move when you consider they could match any offer on Fournier anyway, especially when you again consider demand for his limited skill set would be quite low.

Which is what has made what happened next all the more remarkable. The Magic are 1-4 now, and in those last two games, a win against the New Orleans Pelicans and another memorable overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, Fournier has been superb. He started the season shooting 2-for-11 from three-point territory and generally took poor shots. He was forcing the game at times, although to be fair he wasn’t alone as the likes of Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton also tried too hard to make things happen.

Something clicked against the Pelicans however, as he scored a career high 30 points (12-for-20 from the field) while playing a whopping 43 minutes — a team high. This was even more than Oladipo, who led the team in minutes played last year but who trailed Fournier by some distance (36). In that overtime loss to the Rockets, it was Fournier again leading the way, this time posting 29 points in 46 minutes of action.

Now, it’s worth pointing out that Fournier isn’t exactly doing anything different for this team. He’s primarily a scorer and a threat from deep (he made four three-pointers against the Pelicans and three against the Rockets). However, he did also up the assists numbers to four apiece in those two contests, way higher than his career average of 1.6. You would expect that though, given the fact he’s playing much more than ever before, with his career average being 21 minutes per game.

But the point is, he’s doing what he’s always done, it’s just that over the last two games it’s really worked for him. As I’ve touched on before, he’s never been lacking in confidence, and will step into shots even when they’re not falling for him. So in some ways he shot himself out of his bad start to the season, and he’s done so at the perfect time. It’s as if not being extended fired him up.

Even though the Magic can match any offer sheets that may come his way, Fournier is in the shop window now. Play well and watch as another team comes in with big money (the salary cap will rise once more next summer, making deals that seem silly even now look normal at that point) to try and pry him away. Even if his current team matches the offer, he’s still going to get paid. So it’s a win-win situation for him right now.

Skiles himself deserves some credit here as well, and in many ways it’s his first major triumph as head coach of this team. Had Fournier not started or even dropped out of the rotation altogether, not too many fans would have been angry. Again, I saw him as an energy guy off the bench who could give you 10 points in limited action, before hitting the pine again if the team were involved in a tight game in the fourth quarter.

But to stick with him through that mediocre start to the season, is testament both to his coaching and the self-belief that Fournier possesses. This surge is coming at the right time too, with Oladipo, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic all having improved as players and scorers themselves. Having Fournier coming up big is huge for this team, as it will spread defenses even thinner in trying to cover all of these uniquely gifted scorers.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Week 2

At a time when the Magic’s season has sputtered to get going as a result of a tough opening schedule of games, the sudden success of Evan Fournier should be seen as a beacon of hope. He’s never had it all his own way on this team and he started the year on a less than stellar note.

But he stuck at it and despite being allowed to become a restricted free agent, he seized his chance to lead the Magic to an unlikely win over the Pelicans and a close loss to the Rockets. Not bad for a guy many felt wouldn’t start and did nothing more than miss more open shots than he hit and defended opponent’s badly. He’s the success story for this team of this young season.