Grading each New York Knicks player in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
![MANILA, PHILIPPINES - SEPTEMBER 10: RJ Barrett #9 of Canada drives to the basket against Jalen Brunson #11 of the United States in the second quarter during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 3rd Place game at Mall of Asia Arena on September 10, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) MANILA, PHILIPPINES - SEPTEMBER 10: RJ Barrett #9 of Canada drives to the basket against Jalen Brunson #11 of the United States in the second quarter during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 3rd Place game at Mall of Asia Arena on September 10, 2023 in Manila, Philippines. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/bf14ce078b43df82db0c203c85fb3c6c9cf730d4a6e323dee49739aa889fa6de.jpg)
Evan Fournier
While he struggled mightily throughout the 2022-23 NBA season, Fournier has typically performed well in international competition. He played a large role in France’s silver medal finish in the 2020 Olympics.
However, the French team was shockingly eliminated after just two games in the group stage during the FIBA World Cup. This included losing to a Latvia squad without Kristaps Porzingis.
LATVIA SURVIVE IN THE BEST GAME OF THE WORLD CUP SO FAR & ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND OF THE WORILD CUP 🤯#FIBAWC x #WinForLatvia pic.twitter.com/psu2PjWwma
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) August 27, 2023
Fournier led the team in scoring with 13.8 points each night, although that’s just about where the positives end. He shot a mere 42.9% from the field and 32.4% from deep, averaging twice as many turnovers as assists.
France was outscored by an average of 3.8 points per game when he was on the floor, the worst mark among all rotation players.
His movement shooting and occasional secondary ball-handling abilities have typically been a natural fit for the FIBA style of play, but it was nowhere to be found in the tournament.
Fournier potentially stringing together high-scoring games as a top option could have enticed another NBA team to acquire him via trade, but it appears that New York’s front office still has to continue their search for a partner to take on the last year of his contract.
Although Knicks fans didn’t have major expectations for the 30-year-old, given the fact that he’ll likely be dealt at some point during the next few months, it’s still a disappointing result regardless.