What exactly do the New York Knicks have in Evan Fournier?
By Adam Kester
New York Knicks: Evan Fournier player comparisons
Fournier’s scoring, when it’s on, can single-handedly win the games for the New York Knicks.
That scoring is still streaky. When I say streaky, I don’t mean that Fournier’s off-nights are games where he shoots just under 40% and finishes with 15 points and 4 assists. Those off-nights are games where he finishes with 3-8 points and is totally invisible on the court.
Fournier has finished with less than 10 points in 16/45 games this season. He’s scored 18 or more points in 13/45 games.
This kind of streaky, perimeter scorer who can shoot off the dribble but isn’t really a physical player… well, that archetype certainly exists around the league.
Buddy Hield is the first name that comes to mind.
Hield has the ability to shoot lights out and take over a game, but his streakiness and inefficiency have always been knocks on his game. Not only that, but his defense is abysmal — even worse than Fournier’s.
Hield ranks 161st out of 186 players in defensive box +/-.
Another name that comes to mind is Tim Hardaway Jr.
New York Knicks fans should definitely be familiar with Hardaway Jr. and his streaky scoring. He’s another secondary option on offense who just isn’t a physical player. Hardaway, like Fournier, loves to dance on the perimeter and settle for jump shots.
His game logs look a lot like Fournier’s.
As a matter of fact, these 3 players have some striking similarities. They’re all 29 years old.
Their contracts:
Evan Fournier 3+1 years —73 million
Tim Hardaway Jr. 4 years —75 million
Buddy Hield 4 years — 94 million
Really, the only differences I see in these players are a few inches in height and a slight difference in shot attempts per game. If these three players were shooting the same amount of shots per game, their stats may very well be identical.
At the end of the day, this is the type of player the New York Knicks have. Fournier would be starting on a lot of teams around the league or have a big role on the bench.
The large contract is certainly baked into the perception of Fournier, who just might not be the player fans had hoped for. Still, he can be an important part of this season as he continues to try and build chemistry with the rest of the team.
Next. Cam Reddish speaks on his "Star potential". dark