The New York Knicks signed Evan Fournier to a four-year contract with only three years fully guaranteed. But how does he help the Knicks?
Basketball Reference measures roster continuity by taking the percentage of a team’s regular season minutes filled by players from the previous season’s roster.
From the 2014-15 season through 2019-20, the New York Knicks retained fewer than 50 percent of the previous season’s players. That’s six straight seasons of a roster overhaul.
The new regime led by Leon Rose clearly wanted to get away from that as they retained key role players Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson.
The Knicks introduced key additions Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker to the media in a press conference this week. I wrote about the critical addition of Walker here. The entire spectacle was the culmination of a successful offseason for the Knicks’ leadership group.
We knew it was a big day for Bronx native Walker, but we also learned how important being a Knick was to Fournier. He told the media that he’s wanted to be a Knick for a long time.
We already know what to expect from Noel, Rose, Burks, and Taj.
Fournier is the new guy. What we know about him is that he’s a floor spacing, playmaking wing, who can create for himself. His contract of four years, $78 million was initially panned, only for it to become a steal at three years and $54 million guaranteed with the fourth year being a team option.
Like many players, Fournier had a strange 2020-21 season. He was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Boston Celtics and missed ten games due to COVID.
But Fournier’s still proven himself as a consistently good player in Orlando and Boston, so let’s take a closer look at what he brings to New York.
What does Evan Fournier bring to the New York Knicks?
Fournier is expected to help the Knicks’ longtime shooting woes. He made 173 three-pointers during the 2019-20 season, good for the top 20 in the NBA. The last Knick to make 173 threes in a season was J.R. Smith in 2013-14.
The 2020-21 squad finished third in three-point percentage behind Julius Randle’s career year and a huge improvement from RJ Barrett, but they only finished 21st in makes and 27th in attempts.
Teams will start to defend Julius Randle and RJ Barrett differently next season. It’s hard not to expect a little regression from both guys.
Randle had an incredible shooting season (41.1 percent), but he only shot 29.5 percent from downtown in his previous six seasons. The odds of Barrett shooting better than 40 percent from three are also slim.
Fournier’s shooting has really taken off in the last two seasons. He finished 17th in three-point makes during the 2019-20 season, and he’s shot it at better than a 40 percent clip over the past two seasons. Even more impressive, Fournier’s doing it at the high rate of 6.6 attempts per game.
Fournier can shoot on the move or standing still, and he can pull up in transition or spot up from the corner. The former Celtic has shot better than 40 percent on catch-and-shoot triples in each of the past two seasons, per NBA Stats.
Fournier gives New York multiple threats to hit a pullup three, along with Randle and Immanuel Quickley.
For context, Fournier ranked in the top ten in three-point percentage on pullups. Fournier has been money from the corners too. According to the almighty Cleaning the Glass, he was in the 93rd percentile for wings during the 2019-20 season.
My favorite Evan Fournier play might be the dribble hand-off. He became an expert at running that play with Nikola Vucevic in Orlando and more in Boston with Tristan Thompson.
Fournier was in the 95th percentile on handoff possessions this season with Orlando, per Synergy. Even Mitchell Robinson should be able to pick up some assists playing with Fournier.
Fournier is an excellent off-ball scorer too. He wasn’t used enough in off-ball scenarios in Orlando, but he’s a smart cutter who will take advantage of playing with Julius Randle. Fournier comes off the screen well, he finished in the 76th percentile of efficiency in 2019-20, and should see more looks like that run for him in New York.
The words secondary playmaker will be used to describe Fournier in Knicks blogs across the land. He’s not a point guard and he probably shouldn’t be in charge of an offense but he is someone who can make plays in a pinch. With less responsibility, I think his assist numbers should actually go up.
Part of Fournier’s appeal to this Knicks organization is his growth from a one-dimensional scorer to a legitimate playmaking option. That type of work ethic should translate well into a Tom Thibodeau coached team. Having played for Thibodeau associate Steve Clifford, Fournier should be well prepared for the challenges on the defensive end.
Conclusion
Reggie Bullock was a legit perimeter threat for the New York Knicks last season. He shot the three at a high clip and converted at a little better than a 40 percent rate. That efficiency scored him a new contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
But when the playoffs came around, Bullock struggled mightily. His three-point percentage dipped to just 34.5 percent – including an 0-5 showing in Game 1.
The Knicks couldn’t just run it back after such a brutal playoff loss vs. the Atlanta Hawks. The addition of Evan Fournier and provides New York with an upgrade at the shooting guard position.
With such an improvement in their backcourt, the Knicks don’t intend to get bounced in the first round again.
Leave us a comment on your thoughts about the New York Knicks signing Evan Fournier! Also, make sure to check out CP’s interview with Evan Fournier!
