Finishing, live handle, passing and defense are all strong skills. He hustles and reads the floor well. I have no problem keeping him on the two way and seeing how he develops. He is a good guy for rotation players to work against even if he never makes our rotation.
I heard Fournier has accepted and looks forward to his bench role this season. I do not know if that means Grimes or Reddish is likely to start ahead of him.
Fournier is a high character cat. He never ducked out of the harsh glare of the spotlight when his play was so up and down the first 2/3 of the season. He took his lumps and owned up to his faux pas when he was not delivering.
Fournier AND Julius were both casualties of the Kemba Walker experiment, and of Rose going down.
Julius had significant chemistry with Reggie Bullock AND Elfrid Payton, and missing both of them, while Kemba's style, irrespective of his physical handicaps, really put the kibosh on Fournier's initial fit, while RJ and Julius struggled, up and down, up and down, as Kemba's ball dominant style often took the ball out of Barrett and Randle's hands...not that Thibs' offense, as stodgy as it was early on, made the fit any better.
Then of course, when Kemba went into exile, and ROSE in turn WENT DOWN, well, game-set-match. Burks was a gamer, and a real pro, but he was not a primary facilitator by any stretch of the imagination, and while IQ showed a real feel for being the bell cow after the all-star break, he too struggled with his role, inconsistent minutes and a shooting slump the first 2/3 of the season, as he was seemingly betwixt and between in terms of getting into rhythm, let alone with spotty minutes...am I a faciltator or a scoring combo, and like Toppin, looking over his shoulder for the THIBS HOOK.
I remember the Fournier of the French Olympic Team, and he was a formidable presence.
Evan is currently at work with the French National Team, and with a transitional year behind him, I would expect him to return to the 2022-23 Knicks with his head on straight, a clearer idea of his role, and some fire in his belly, whether or not he is a sixth man or on the front line...where Grimes trumps him is on defense, and Thibs is going to want a strong defensive presence next to Brunson.
NOT MANY PLAYERS WANT TO BE KNICKS, or play in the media/arena cauldron that is NY. But Fournier did, Fournier DOES.
Given Brunson's court presence and leadership, I would expect that Fournier, Barrett and Randle, with more defined roles, and more scaled back responsibilities as facilitators, to step up, coming out of the gate more focused and aggressive, as they develop a more tangible, attainable chemistry.
I would also expect Rose, a healthy, motivated [$14 million motivated in the second year of his own 2+ 1 contract] Rose, to exert a significant influence on Brunson, Quickley and McBride, let alone on a second unit, which as per Facil, could be comprised of Rose/Quickley, Fournier/Quickley, Reddish, Toppin and Hartenstein. I would expect the Knicks to manage Rose's minutes more carefully, while gradually down-shifting his role, to bring along IQ both on and off the ball.
Anyway, the East is going to be rough as a motherfucker.
The first tier of Philly, Milwaukee, Boston, Miami have all gotten better. God knows how the Nyets are going to shake out, but if Durant, Irving and Simmons are all out there on opening night, they are surely in the top tier mix.
Atlanta, Chicago and Toronto have excellent talent and chemistry in the second tier.
THAT MAKES EIGHT TEAMS IN OUR WAY RIGHT THERE.
The Knicks, Wizards and Hornets will be nipping at the Second Tier's heels, while we don't want to sleep on Orlando, Detroit and Indiana, who have all added significant talent.
So,
while I am not unduly given to POSITIVE PUSSYHOOD, we have a deep, young team, with a year of collective experience and bonding through hardship under their belt, young talent on the rise with a pair of #1 picks in the summer of 2023, possibly even 3 or 4.
So we are poised to grow, poised to make moves.
We set realistic targets in the 2022-2023 off season, attained them, and look to make progress.
How much progress?
Well, let's see if Brunson-Barrett-Randle comprise a BIG THREE or __________________.
Stay tuned.
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