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Fournier Hopes to Make More Strides in Second Season with Magic

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By John DentonOct. 5, 2015

ORLANDO – For Evan Fournier, playing exceptionally well in the 2014 basketball version of the World Cup bled into last NBA season, and he feels that it was a major factor in him having a breakout year for the Orlando Magic.

Now, following another summer in which he was a standout for his native France in top-level competition, Fournier is hopeful that his offseason of work will once again help him get off to a strong start for the Magic – even if he is still somewhat emotionally and physically scarred by what took place in EuroBasket 2015.

``The arena and playing in front of our fans – 27,000 people being there – was fantastic. But losing against Spain in the semifinal, it was hard – really, really hard to take,’’ said Fournier, who sprained his ankle in the consolation game that France won for a third-place finish. ``(The injury happened because) I wasn’t focused and I was still thinking about the (loss to Spain). But I had my best game of the tournament and we got something.

``It was a winning experience. We only lost one game and Spain lost two games, but it’s about winning when it matters,’’ Fournier continued. ``What is hard is that we were up 11 in the fourth quarter. That’s why it’s still really hard to take. But I have to move on because if I keep talking about the national team I am going to be frustrated.’’
How all of this relates to the Magic is the impact that international play has had and could have on Fournier’s game and his confidence going forward.

With Magic standout Victor Oladipo out injured to start last season, Fournier stepped right in and played some of the best basketball of his life – thanks in part to thriving under the pressure of playing for his home country in September of 2014. Fournier, who doesn’t turn 23 years old until Oct. 29, averaged 16 points in Orlando’s two October games and 15.4 points in the 16 games last November. He started to show off the massive potential that the Magic wisely saw in him when they traded leading-scorer Aaron Afflalo to Denver in June of 2014.

A minor heel injury in late November, Oladipo’s return and the decision to shift him back into a reserve role and later a serious medical issue in his groin and hip region in February put somewhat of a damper on Fournier’s first season in Orlando. Still, he averaged a career-best 12 points a game in 58 games. Now, both he and new Magic head coach Scott Skiles have high hopes for the 6-foot-7 guard/forward heading into this season.

``He fits what we’re trying to do with moving the ball more,’’ Skiles said of Fournier. ``He is another guy who fits that (style of play) because he likes to move his body and cut. He can shoot, of course, and he’s a sneaky finisher. … He makes pretty good decisions and he has size and toughness to be a pretty good defender. So he’s a good all-around player.’’

Fournier returned to practice with the Magic on Sunday after sitting out the first week of practices because of the sprained ankle suffered in the final game of the EuroBasket championships. Despite a minor ``tweak’’ on the game’s first play, Fournier played his best game of the EuroBasket tournament – 15 points, three 3-pointers, five rebounds, two assists and a steal – to lift France to that third-place finish.

Skiles has said repeatedly that he is a big fan of Fournier’s and he noted that after watching the Magic play several games last season that the team was simply better when the French guard was on the floor. Skiles likes Fournier’s versatility as a playmaker and a scorer, as a driver and a shooter and as an underrated defender and a valuable piece of the Magic’s ability to space the floor.

Where things will get sticky for Skiles is figuring out how to give both Fournier and prized rookie Mario Hezonja – the fifth pick in last June’s NBA Draft – enough playing time. The good thing is that both can guard small forwards and shooting guards and their athleticism plays into the up-tempo style that the coach wants to play.

``We have to use our young legs,’’ Fournier said. ``We have a lot of athletic dudes. So it would be smart for us to run.’’

Fournier feels that the addition of Skiles, an improved defense and a year of seasoning will help the Magic finally get over the hump and be a contender this season. In Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Oladipo, Hezonja and himself, Fournier feels that Orlando has enough talent to make major strides immediately.

``We have the right pieces and now it’s time for us to get more wins,’’ Fournier said. ``This city deserves it, the fans deserve it and we deserve it because we know that we work hard. So it’s time to go to work.’’

Going to Saturday’s preseason opener put Fournier back in a basketball arena with new Charlotte forward Nicolas Batum, Fournier’s teammate on the French national team earlier this summer. It was Batum who missed three critical free throws late in the overtime period – the only three free throws he missed all game in nine attempts – that led to the heartbreaking 80-75 OT loss to Spain and Pau Gasol (40 points and 11 rebounds).

Batum and Fournier talked plenty this past weekend about the heartbreak they are still feeling over coming up short in Europe’s biggest basketball tournament. France will now be forced to win a qualifying tournament in the summer to get into the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

That could prove to be problematic for Fournier, who will be a restricted free agent on July 1 if he doesn’t sign a contract extension with the Magic in the coming weeks. Fournier hopes to have a big 2015-16 season with the Magic so that his contract issue will take care of itself quickly and then he can focus on helping his home country achieve basketball redemption next summer.

``That’s going to be a big mess for us because the (Olympic qualifying) tournament to go to the Olympics is early July and at the end of June. That’s super early because some guys might go deep into the playoffs and there are contracts,’’ Fournier said. ``It will be a mess for us, but we’re just saying let’s get through it because we still feel like we have the best team after Team USA.’’