3 takeaways from Knicks’ much-needed win over Jazz
1: Evan Fournier was a DNP- Coach’s Decision
After all the pain and suffering Knicks fans have had to endure this season when watching Evan Fournier play basketball, it seems as if Thibodeau has finally had enough. Fournier did not receive a single minute of action in this game.
We all know about Thibodeau’s obsession with giving Fournier big-time minutes in games, so it surprised me to not see him check into the game at all. While most coaches would have benched Fournier by now, especially considering how much of a liability he has been on both sides of the ball, Thibodeau has been his usual stubborn self.
While Thibodeau also decided to not give any minutes to Quentin Grimes, he is likely still dealing with his foot injury, so that could explain why.
Thibodeau has talked about holding players accountable in the past, however, he has been doing it in almost all the wrong ways. To see Thibs finally put his big boy pants on and sit Fournier down for an entire game was nice to see.
Does this mean a future trade is on the way for Fournier? Probably, as I doubt he is going to want to collect DNPs for a team like the Knicks. While the Knicks may not get much value in return, it seems as if anything is better than having to watch Fournier play basketball again.
Maybe Fournier will prove us all wrong, but for now, he needs to go. He is a defensive liability and when his shots aren’t hitting, he is honestly a pretty useless player. It just so happens that Fournier is shooting 34.4% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc, so he doesn’t serve a purpose when he is on the floor.
It will be interesting to see how this situation develops as time goes on, but for now, I am glad to see Thibodeau finally take a step in the right direction by holding one of his treasured veterans accountable.
