New York Knicks: 3 Must-know shooting stats from last season
By Adam Kester
New York Knicks: Stat #2 — Evan Fournier’s shooting
Evan Fournier Catch and Shoot Threes: 41.7%, 3.8 attempts per game
We’re going with one of the newcomers this season and it’s an important stat to note.
What are “Catch and shoot” shots? The opposite of pull-up shooting. You catch the ball and quickly shoot it.
Catch and shoot numbers can help you piece together a player’s shooting performance and give context. When we think of great catch and shooters, we think of the complementary role players who are deployed as supporting cast members to superstars. We think of the Steve Novaks, Seth Currys, J.J. Redicks of the world.
Former Knick Reggie Bullock fell into that category as well, and some are worried that Fournier won’t be able to replace Bullocks’ shooting. I’m here to tell you not to worry. Evan Fournier is a fantastic shooter.
On his overall 3-point field goals, Fournier shot 41.3 percent last season. The season before, he shot 39.9 percent from three. We are just 0.1 percent away from being able to say he has back-to-back 40 percent 3-point shooting seasons.
We know the Knicks are getting more than just a spot up shooter with Fournier. They brought him in to be an effective all-around weapon. Someone who can create his own shot and create for others. That doesn’t mean he can’t also be a lethal shooter off-ball.
Fournier will have some ball-handling responsibilities. He is still going to be playing alongside Walker, Barrett, and Randle.
Randle will continue to be a focal point whose gravity will attract a ton of defensive attention.
With the Boston Celtics last season, Fournier shot 51.9 percent on catch and shoot threes. It was a small sample size and that number is not sustainable, but it shows you how can effective he can be playing off a great talent like Jayson Tatum.
Fournier hasn’t exactly played on great teams in his career with the Orlando Magic. He should get some great looks on offense playing next to Julius Randle and Kemba Walker.
About a month ago, I projected the individual stats for everyone on the New York Knicks roster and had Evan Fournier’s per game scoring numbers down a tad, but with great efficiency — 44.6 percent from the field and 40 .4 percent from three.