At the 2024 Trade Deadline, Evan Fournier was released from his very golden prison by finally leaving the Knicks for the Pistons. The opportunity to look back on his adventure in New York, a city that creates but sometimes destroys dreams.
In her most famous song, Alicia Keys screamed to our delight: “NEW YOOOOOOORK, CONCRETE JUNGLE WHERE DREAMS ARE MADE OF, THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN’T DO, NOW YOU’RE IN NEW YOOOOOOORK.” For those less comfortable among you with the language of Shakespeare, the singer affirms that the city that never sleeps is a dream factory and that nothing is impossible there.
For Evan Fournier, one thing had become true: playing basketball.
When the Frenchman signed with one of the NBA’s most legendary franchises in the summer of 2021, it was with dreams in his head and the desire to shine in his city and his favorite venue. For KnicksFanTVhe declared at the time:
“Playing in New York is a dream. I always wanted to be a Knick. French fans can confirm it, I’ve been saying it for a long time. So now I want to stay as long as possible. It’s up to me to play well for that.”
And the beginnings will prove him right.
During his first match in the Big Apple jersey, Evan Fournier amazed and introduced himself to his new audience in the best possible way. 32 points at 13/25 shooting and a victory against his former team Boston in a melting Madison Square Garden. Celtics who will become his official doormat throughout the meetings since it is also against them that he will achieve the best match of his career a few months later: 41 points at 10/14 from long distance.
Overall, the first season is going rather well for the balding Charenton. If collectively, mayonnaise takes little in New York, Fournier performs well in the role assigned to him. Reduced to a simple catch and shoot by Tom Thibodeau, he does it to the best of his abilities and breaks the record for 3-pointers scored in a season by a Knicks player with 241 darts from a distance. 3 per match on average with 39% success, elite sniper statistics.
But quickly, during the 2022-23 season, the atmosphere will change drastically. Evan Fournier begins the season as a starter, but only keeps this role for 7 games. After 19 games, he was even taken out of the rotation by his coach preferring younger profiles and better defenders, although the Frenchman also gives himself on this side of the floor. In more than a year, the former Magic player will only play 11 games for the Knicks, taking his adventure in New York from a childhood dream to an adult professional nightmare..
Evan Fournier is a huge competitor and has had difficulty hiding his frustration lately. Nevertheless, he remained a great professional and continued to train hard. Always present on the bench and to give advice to his young teammates, number 13 leaves the Knicks with a positive image in the locker room.
Thank you, Evan. pic.twitter.com/HpwD3lBEjt
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) February 8, 2024
To be able to compete in the Paris Olympic Games with France, his situation had to change. So regardless of the fact that Detroit is not very glamorous this season, the important thing for him is simply to get back on the court and get into rhythm for the end of July.
In six months, Evan Fournier will likely be a free agent, unless the Pistons activate his team option at over $19 million for next season (unlikely). This will then be an opportunity for him to settle down and choose the best possible situation in the Great League. In the meantime, he will be able to supervise talents like Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren while having fun on the wings with, hopefully, many ticket shoots.
The city of Detroit and its Pistons team are like Evan Fournier: in full reconstruction. Maybe that’s what the Frenchman needs after two and a half seasons spent in the blinding lights of Manhattan.
Source texte : Knicks Fan Tv
2024-02-09 14:42:00
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