Grading the New York Knicks offseason moves so far

Grading the New York Knicks offseason moves so far: Evan Fournier: C-

If there was ever a model of inconsistency, it could very well be Evan Fournier. He’s been a streaky player his entire career, but this feels different. After averaging at least 17 points per game in four of the last five seasons, Fournier is averaging just 13.1 points and 1.8 assists per game, his lowest averages since the 2014-15 season. While he’s shooting a respectable 39.5 percent from three-point range on 6.5 attempts per game, Fournier is shooting an abysmal 40.7 percent from the field.

According to Basketball-Reference, the Knicks offensive rating jumps from 107.8 when he’s on the court to 111.7 when he’s on the bench. Opponents are also less effective when he’s off the court as well. Opposing teams have a +9.5 ORTG when Fournier is on the court.

As a result of his underwhelming play, Fournier has been benched for the entirety of the fourth quarter in 10 of 19 games. Of course, the stellar play of the bench unit (especially late in games) has played a role in these fourth-quarter benchings, but Fournier has to improve his play through the first three quarters if he’s going to see the court in close-out situations.

It was always expected there would be some growing pains early in the seasons as Fournier and the other offseason acquisitions got acclimated to their new team. Still, through the first quarter of the season, things do not look any better than they did on day one, and it may be time to start shuffling the lineup.

For now, the Knicks can hang their hat on the fact they got two second-round picks in the sign-and-trade deal that landed Fournier in New York.