The early returns have been positive, an indication that Evan Fournier may end up being a major asset for Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks.
Thibodeau praised the newcomer on Wednesday before the Knicks hosted the Bucks, but also believes the veteran wing will only get better as he gets more games under his belt with his new teammates.
“To me, he’s a veteran that provides shooting and the ability to go off the dribble. It’s how he complements those guys, how he complements Kemba [Walker], how it all works together,” Thibodeau said of Fournier, who signed a four-year, $78 million deal to join the Knicks in the offseason. “As time goes on, he’ll get more and more comfortable. Overall, very pleased with him, and obviously there’s still room for him to expand what he’s doing.”
Fournier’s first game as a Knick was his best so far, a 32-point explosion in which he sank six 3-pointers. Otherwise, he’s been consistently productive. He isn’t putting up huge numbers, but he’s contributed on a nightly basis, providing the Knicks with a much-needed court-spacer, penetrator and ball-mover.
At the start of the offseason, there wasn’t much buzz about the Knicks going after the 6-foot-7 Fournier. They had been linked to Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan, two players who wound up signing with the Bulls.
DeRozan landed a three-year, $85 million deal with Chicago after being pursued by the Knicks, The Post’s Marc Berman reported. The Knicks ended up going younger on the wing — Fournier is four years DeRozan’s junior and came at a cheaper price — and older at guard, with Walker instead of Ball.
So far, it has worked out, especially when it comes to Fournier. The 29-year-old Frenchman has reached double figures in nine of 11 games and is averaging 14.9 points on 37.5 shooting from 3-point range, along with 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 30.1 minutes per game.
He’s been somewhat overshadowed by the two Knicks’ stars, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, and the more splashy offseason addition, Kemba Walker. Fournier, though, has made an impact. He’s developing chemistry with his new teammates, particularly Randle. Along with Walker, he’s helped make the Knicks a more dangerous perimeter-shooting team. They are attempting 38.1 3-pointers per game, up from 30.1 a year ago, and are shooting 36.5 percent from beyond the arc, which is the sixth-best mark in the league.
“I just like his playmaking, I like the shooting,” Thibodeau said. “One of the things when you go back, we had to close the gap in the 3-point shooting. That was a big thing for us. Two years ago, we were so far behind in that.
“I think that he and Kemba have added the right shot profile to what we’re trying to get accomplished. We still have room to grow in that area. Understanding how we get to those shots is important.”