After two straight seasons leading the Orlando Magic in scoring, it might be time for Evan Fournier to move to a sixth man role in 2018-19.
Why can’t the Orlando Magic have nice things? Of course Jonathan Isaac, the sixth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, lost most of his season due to injury. Of course Terrence Ross, the crux of a trade deadline deal to get rid of Serge Ibaka the season before, only played 24 games. Of course their leading scorer, Evan Fournier, misses 28 games throughout the season.
When it rains, it pours in Orlando. Nothing is different with their NBA team.
For the season, Fournier averaged a career high 17.8 points, a career-high 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 32 minutes a game. He also shot 45.9 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from 3. The 17.8 points-per-game mark was the highest of any Magic player, including newly very rich man Aaron Gordon and center Nikola Vucevic. The season prior, Fournier led the Magic with 17.2 points a game but still missed 14 games due to injury.
What does this tell us? Well, Evan Fournier being healthy is a cause for concern, but it also shows that if your leading scorer is only averaging 17.8 points a game, you aren’t winning many games. Only the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies had lower leading scorer totals than Orlando.
I know the Magic’s priority leans towards defense, but that number probably needs to go way up to procure more wins.
Speaking of this, the recent trend the Magic have implemented will be interesting to see with Fournier on the floor. He is a tall shooting guard at 6’7”, but tends to be pretty slow on the defensive end. His feet aren’t quite quick enough to defend 2’s and his lack of length, despite height, makes it harder to guard 3’s.
He did get 0.8 steals a game last season, mostly because due to some solid help defense, but this doesn’t make up for his less than stellar on-ball defense. Ian Holmes of Orlando Magic Daily did point out early in the season (after 13 games) that Fournier’s defense had improved, but every number mentioned in that piece went down by the end of the season. Does he fit in with the new “length is everything” mindset the Magic have?
More from Orlando Magic
- The most exciting NBA team you won’t see on national TV this season
- 5 NBA teams on the rise that will surprise everyone in 2023-24
- Ranking the 10 championship-less NBA teams by closeness to title
- Orlando Magic draft odds: What are the chances of landing the #1 pick?
- Franz Wagner has smashed the sophomore slump for the Orlando Magic
Most likely due to lack of talent and desperation, Fournier has been miscast as the primary scorer and go-to playmaker for Orlando. That should probably change next season. Fournier does need to be an important part of the offense, but in keeping with the new youth movement, I’d think it’d be smart for AG or Isaac to be the go-to scorer moving forward.
On the floor, he’s a good passer for a 2, averaging nearly three assists a game, but he also loves to hoist shots. Last season, Fournier had only four games in which he didn’t put up double-digit shot attempts in a game.
It makes sense considering he was looked to for go-to scoring, but it’s not a recipe for success. With enhanced touches for Gordon and Isaac, plus better, rangier defense from Ross and Jonathon Simmons, should Fournier be a sixth man? I know that is kind of slanderous for someone who just averaged nearly 18 points a night, but it could be what’s best for Orlando.
In the four games where Fournier hoisted less than 10 shots, he went 20-for-33, shooting 60.6 percent from the field. I know it is a small sample size, but that kind of efficiency is exactly what the Magic need. For a team that will be hard-pressed to find points, maybe throwing Fournier in the second unit — where he can score at will against lesser defenders — would be smart.
If Fournier does slide to the second unit, a potential lineup of Jerian Grant, Fournier, Ross, Isaac and Bamba would be effective both scoring-wise and defensively. Fournier and Isaac can both stretch the floor, allowing Bamba a ton of room in the post and an ability to stretch the floor as well.
With Gordon off the floor, Fournier could be the main playmaker in this unit and hoist up shots while Isaac could be used to score as well. The beauty in this role is that Fournier can stay on the floor when first unit members come back in and can be the main scoring option for the second unit. It’s a win-win.
I personally would like to see Fournier play a Lou Williams-esque role next season. While Lou was still the Clippers’ leading scorer and averaged a career high in minutes, he played his sixth man role to perfection and used his scoring prowess to decimate other second unit guards. Even when playing with first unit guys, he continued this scoring output.
This is exactly what I see for Fournier if moved to this slot. He could win Sixth Man of the Year just based on the way he can score. I know this is a long shot due to the Magic probably needing his scoring abilities with the first unit, but what do they have to lose by trying this out?
The other thing I’m worried about with Fournier this year is the Magic trying to move him if they continue to lose. Fournier and Nikola Vucevic seem to be on the trading block this season as the Magic try to move from the old to the new, even though both of them are still in their 20s.
Given that Fournier is still only 25 and can score the way he does, I think getting rid of him for anything less than someone who can match this output, or a projected lottery pick, would be dumb — especially with the scarcity of guards on the Magic roster. Vucevic being shipped out would make sense because of the clog of bigs, but Fournier should stay. I just think his role should be changed a bit.
Given all of this, however, Fournier’s role probably won’t change too much. He will more than likely be the day one starter at the shooting guard position and average above 30 minutes a game. If the Magic really do believe in AG and Isaac, then taking the ball out of Fournier’s hands more will be beneficial for their development. In a season where reaching the playoffs is a long shot, having Fournier play a smaller role might actually translate to better play.
I expect Fournier to still be a great scorer and hopefully keep up the slight improvement in defense this season. If Steve Clifford does mess around with the rotations a bit, then Fournier should be considered for a move to the bench in an expanded sixth man role. It could speed up the development of young studs like AG and Isaac and also potentially improve Fournier’s efficiency.
A decision like this could potentially weaken the relationship between Evan Fournier and the Orlando Magic, but it might be the right move moving forward.