Six games into the regular season, New York Knicks G/F Evan Fournier remains out of the rotation. Despite New York’s rocky three-point shooting numbers to start the season, the veteran sharpshooter knows his chances of getting back in the rotation remain slim.
Evan Fournier acknowledges his lack of playing time is unlikely to change
“I think the guys found something in the way they played last year, and they’re going to stick to that,” said Fournier in an interview with The New York Post. “So, it’s not up to me.”
Fournier was referencing the nine-man rotation implemented by head coach Tom Thibodeau last season, which left Fournier as the odd man out of the rotation for the remainder of the season.
Last season, the changes made to the rotation worked well for the Knicks. They started the year with a 10-13 record with Fournier in the rotation, improving to a 37-22 record over the team’s final 59 games with Fournier on the bench. Despite this, Fournier insists that he can still produce at a high level, voicing his displeasure with the lack of playing time, and expecting to be traded. Nonetheless, Fournier remains in orange and blue.
The 31-year-old Fournier is the Knicks’ franchise record holder for 3-pointers made in a season, knocking down 241 threes in the 2021-22 season, his first with the team. Perhaps New York could use Fournier’s shooting prowess if it ever got to that point, as so far this season they rank 24th in the NBA with a paltry 3-point percentage of just 32.4. However, it is too soon to tell whether this will remain an issue or not.
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Knicks unlikely to place Fournier back in the rotation
Despite the Knicks’ early season struggles offensively, re-inserting Fournier into the rotation doesn’t appear imminent. It is too soon for the Knicks to panic and make such a drastic move, getting away from what worked last season. Unfortunately for Fournier, it appears he will still have to wait until he is traded to receive the playing time he feels he deserves.
