NY Knicks: Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker are a Formidable Duo

The NY Knicks have acquired a premier on-court duo with the offseason additions of Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker to their lineup.

Dynamic duos litter the American zeitgeist.

The concept permeates pop culture, food, politics, and religion. Our brains are hard-wired to appreciate and find comfort in strong partnerships.

While Fournier and Walker may not be in the same conversation as Bonnie & Clyde, Peanut Butter & Jelly, or Adam & Eve in the collective consciousness, they should soon rocket up the list in the hearts of Knicks fans if their time together last season is any indication.

A recent Daily Knicks article detailed who we believed would benefit most from the Kemba signing and of course, one of those names had to be Evan Fournier.

Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier together is special

Analytically speaking, lineups featuring both Fournier and Walker were some of the most effective in the league according to Cleaning the Glass.

Let’s first root our conversation in what those two accomplished on the offensive end.

As that table shows, lineups featuring both Fournier and Walker sported a +13.9 differential (good for 98th percentile in the league) and 120.2 points per 100 possessions (good for 93rd percentile in the league.)

Those are strong offensive lineups when compared to any other lineups in the league. Adding this duo will be a welcomed addition to a Knicks team that struggled offensively last season, especially in the playoffs.

If that weren’t enough to win over Knick fans, it’s important to add that they absolutely ravaged lineups featuring the two starters they are replacing: Reggie Bullock and Elfrid Payton.

Payton and Bullock lineups posted a -3.1 differential (36th percentile) and 107.7 points per 100 possessions (22nd percentile).

What was most surprising was how the Fournier and Walker lineups performed on the defensive end. They best the Bullock and Payton lineups in every defensive category except for the offense’s free throw rate.

The only slight hitch in this data is that the strongest Fournier and Walker lineups featured Fournier at the 3 spot, which most Knicks faithful believe is where RJ Barrett will be most effective.

It will be up to Tom Thibodeau to unlock Fournier’s efficiency at the 2 spot. If he does, it could result in strong play on both ends of the floor.

The prospects for next season are exciting. The Knicks have added a formidable duo to their returning core.