3 presents Orlando Magic want for Christmas
By Luke Duffy
3. Evan Fournier to keep doing what he’s doing
Evan Fournier has long been the subject of criticism among Orlando Magic fans because he was forced into a role that doesn’t totally suit his style of play and who he is as a player. This is Fournier’s sixth season with the team and during that span he has been expected to be their closer and best offensive threat each game.
Nikola Vucevic took a lot of that load last season on the way to his best campaign as a professional, but this year it has reverted back to Fournier being the No. 1 option a lot of the time. This despite it being clear up to this point that Fournier would be an excellent second, or even third, offensive option for a team.
But what has changed is that Fournier has stepped up to the challenge in ways we haven’t seen before and has been mostly excellent for the Magic. With Vucevic missing time through an ankle sprain, Aaron Gordon continuing to puzzle and Jonathan Isaac a better defensive player right now, this has been huge for an organization that would have been horrific offensively without him.
Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier is close to moving into the top 10 on the franchise's all-time scoring list. Fournier (5,857 career points) needs 41 points to tie Darrell Armstrong for 10th.
— Roy Parry (@RoyParryIII) December 19, 2019
As it is they rank 26th (104.9) in that category, but if not for Fournier it would be a lot worse. His 19.2 points per game are a career high, while the 41.9 percent he is shooting from 3-point range is not only also a career-best (average of 37.5 percent for his career), but the best mark on the team (and it is not even particularly close).
Few thought that a summer spent with France at the FIBA World Cup, in which Fournier won a bronze medal and was named to the all-tournament team, would translate to the league, because often it does not.
But he has taken that experience and run with it and at 27 and entering his prime, Magic fans should feel confident that he can be a valuable contributor to wherever it is they go next.
The best Christmas present he can give them is continuing to be their offensive focal point when asked, while also leading the Magic in effective field goal percentage (56.9 percent) as well. Their situation would be a lot worse without him.