Hoops Habit
Fansided

Orlando Magic Starting 5 Breakdown: Evan Fournier

By Luke Duffy

Dec 13, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Oct 30, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson (21) during the second half at Amway Center. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 139-136 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson (21) during the second half at Amway Center. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 139-136 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

About Last Year

While incoming rookie Mario Hezonja’s high confidence levels get spoken of a lot, Fournier is another player who believes completely in his abilities. Last year, Fournier was taking 10 shots a night while seeing 28 minutes of action a night. The result was 12 points per game and an encouraging effective field goal percentage of 51.4.

They weren’t always falling (he shot 37 percent from deep) but he always stepped into his shots with confidence, a good sign.

Defensively Fournier had a more negative impact, with a defensive +/- score of minus-2.3. While his scoring bursts off the bench eased the pain of being a non-factor on that end of the court, with the league holding “3 and D” players in high regard right now, his inability to shut anybody down was a concern.

On top of this, being a 73 percent free throw shooter isn’t good enough for a guy whose biggest weapon is his shooting.

Although this team was going nowhere quick last year, Fournier was still often reigned in and his growth stalled as a result. It may have been a better idea to let him see more time and grow more confident of his role on this team (this is especially true now that he’s starting for this team). At only 23 years of age though, there was much to like about the offensive output he gave this team.

Next: Will Leap Come Now That Fournier Starts?

Home/Orlando Magic