Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Frenchman shooting guard Evan Fournier of the Denver Nuggets has come a long way since he was drafted 20th overall last season. His minutes were limited, but when he did get extended time on the floor, he showed great poise.
For instance, on April 6 against the Houston Rockets, the Nuggets were missing Danilo Gallinari and Ty Lawson. Fournier came off the bench to score 17 points on 50 percent shooting, nailing three three-pointers, grabbing three steals, three rebounds and five assists in just 23 minutes of action.
When Fournier came into the league, his outside shooting was his greatest weakness, 29 percent from behind the arc. After the season was over, his three-point percentage improved to 40 percent.
Fournier stands 6-foot-6, weighs 200 pounds and is only 20 years old. He has the opportunity to be the team’s starting shooting guard now that Andre Iguodala has signed with the Golden State Warriors. While Fournier only got minutes late in the season because of injuries on the roster, he will have more minutes under new head coach Brian Shaw.
The team will expect Fournier to provide outside shooting and guard some of the best wing players in the league. Since Gallinari will still be out when the regular season starts, Fournier will have to carry the scoring load alongside Lawson. Fournier has been hesitant to shoot at times, but he will learn when to be selfish and when to be a playmaker. He is another guy that proves that the Nuggets just have good players with no All-Stars, but can win games when they matter.
Robert Lin is a writer for Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rlin2k or add him on Google.
