ORLANDO – For years, Steve Clifford has admired shooting guard Evan Fournier from a distance and marveled at his improvement and highly efficient play from the shooting guard position.
Now the coach of the Orlando Magic, Clifford has gotten to see why Fournier has become such a consistent and productive player.
Fournier, who missed the final month of last season with a knee injury, has been a regular at the Magic’s practice facility most of the offseason while preparing himself for this season. That work has allowed Clifford a chance to see why Fournier has become such a solid player and one who has led the Magic in scoring each of the past three seasons.
``We’ve had a bunch of guys coming in here all the time in September and are in a really good place right now – none better than Evan,’’ Clifford raved. ``He’s had a good summer, his game is on and he’s in really good condition. It’s the shooting, his basketball IQ, his ability to play off screens is terrific and he’s bigger than I realized.’’
Orlando and Clifford will once again lean heavily on Fournier at the shooting guard position this season. Unlike in years past, the Magic have tremendous depth and versatility at that position what with Jonathon Simmons and Terrence Ross also on the roster. All three can play either at shooting guard or small forward, giving Clifford plenty of options on the wings.
With the Magic set to open training camp on Tuesday at the Amway Center, Orlando Magic.com is taking a closer look at the team position-by-position. Without further ado, here’s a look at how the Magic will utilize their shooting guard position:
POSITION: Shooting guard
PLAYERS: Evan Fournier (6-7, 205, 6 NBA seasons); Jonathon Simmons (6-6, 195, 3 NBA seasons); Terrence Ross (6-7, 206, 6 NBA seasons); Melvin Frazier Jr. (6-6, 198, NBA rookie).
PROJECTED STARTER: Fournier (2017-18 stats: 57 games, 17.8 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 2.9 apg., 45.9 FG percent, 37.9 3FG percent, 86.7 FT percent).
PROJECTED DEPTH: Simmons (2017-18 stats: 69 games, 13.9 ppg., 3.5 rpg., 2.5 spg., 46.5 FG percent, 33.8 3FG percent, 76.8 FT percent); Ross (2017-18 stats: 24 games, 8.7 ppg., 3.0 rpg., 1.6 apg., 1.1 spg., 39.8 FG percent, 32.3 3FG percent, 75 FT percent); Frazier Jr. (2017-18 stats at Tulane University: 30 games, 15.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 2.9 apg., 2.1 spg., 55.6 FG percent, 38.5 3FG percent, 71.2 FT percent.
STRENGTHS: Orlando possesses tremendous skill and depth at the shooting guard position with three veterans who have started games and previously played at a high level. Despite leading the Magic in scoring each of the past three seasons and playing on a lucrative contract, Fournier is one of the NBA’s most underrated players because of his highly efficient play. The Magic bet on Simmons last summer when they signed him away from the Spurs and he rewarded them with career-best numbers across the board. Orlando desperately needs Ross to have a big bounce-back season following an injury-marred 2017-18, and thus far he’s put in the offseason work to play well going forward. Frazier Jr. and Wesley Iwundu can play both the shooting guard and small forward positions and they will give the Magic some defensive toughness off the bench.
WEAKNESSES: While Orlando’s two-guards are plus 3-point shooters and better-than-adequate scorers, they sometimes struggle at making others around them better with their court vision and passing. Fournier made strides in this area over the last two seasons while averaging 3.0 and 2.9 assists a game. Still, the Magic he tended to force shots at times and occasionally turned the ball over on drives to the rim when finding other teammates with a pass would have been the better option. The Magic love Simmons’ ability to break down defenders off the dribble and his willingness to put his head down and fearlessly get to the rim and the free throw line. While Simmons helps the Magic get to the free throw line (3.5 attempts a game last season), they need him to be more willing to pass the ball to others for easy baskets when he gets in the lane. The same goes for Ross, who too often camped out around the 3-point line last season and did little to create open shots for others.
ANALYSIS: After missing the final month of last season, Fournier vowed he would be a regular at the Orlando practice facility this summer so that he would be completely ready for this season. He has been true to his word, working at the Amway Center much of the summer to get himself ready. Coach Steve Clifford has been extremely impressed with Fournier’s skill level and conditioning thus far and he is convinced that the veteran shooting guard is headed toward a big season.
Simmons could be slowed some early in the season after needing offseason surgery to repair a damaged ligament in his right wrist – an injury he suffered last April. That injury was the only negative last season for Simmons, who was often Orlando’s best offensive and defensive player. Clifford loves Simmons’ competitive spirit and he wants to use the guard in a variety of ways.
Ross missed four months last season after suffering a significant knee injury and only returned for two games in late April. He spent most of his summer in Orlando, working at the Amway Center to improve the strength in his leg and the conditioning in his body. The hope is that he has regained his confidence and his shooting form. If he can get back to the levels he was at as recently as two seasons ago, Ross could give the Magic some dynamic firepower off the bench.
Frazier Jr. made significant strides in college while playing for former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy and he has all the tools to be a defensive stopper. His 3-point shot will have to improve in order to cull out consistent playing time as a rookie.
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.