Tom Thibodeau: 'Hard to Argue' New York Knicks' Evan Fournier Exile
The war of attrition between Evan Fournier and New York Knicks management continued on Monday when head coach Tom Thibodeau made his first public comments of the 2023-24 season.
After soldering through last season, which saw him go from starter-to-exile in the Knicks' rotation, Fournier has gone on a verbal war of words against the team, especially as he continues to linger on the roster. Things reached a relative boiling point in July, when Fournier claimed he experienced "uncool times" in New York, especially when it came to Thibodeau. Just last week, Fournier further claimed he was being "held hostage" in Manhattan
Asked to respond to Fournier in Monday's media day proceedings, Thibodeau brought blunt facts to the table in defending his decision.
“I didn’t come into (last) season thinking we were going to do the things that we did. We did it because we didn’t have success one way," Thibodeau said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. "So, we adjusted and then the next group that went in, it’s hard to argue with (a) 37-22 (record) with a plus-5 net rating. So, it is what it is."
While Thibodeau's math may be a bit off, there's no denying he did his research when making the decision to remove Fournier from the Knicks' floor plan.
Fournier began last season, his second in New York, as the Knicks' primary shooting guard. He set the franchise's single-season record for most successful three-pointers in his debut campaign after coming over from Boston.
Tom Thibodeau (L) was blunt when defending his decision to remove Evan Fournier (R) from the New York Knicks' rotation
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But Fournier lasted only seven games in the starting and was replaced by Cam Reddish before second-year first-round pick Quentin Grimes took over the spot for good shortly after. Fournier came off the bench over the next six games but, after an embarrassing 145-135 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 13 (which dropped the Knicks to 6-7), he was exiled from the rotation entirely. Over those first 13 games, Fournier averaged 6.9 points and shot just over 33 percent from the field. Fournier was one of several sacrifices, along with Reddish and Derrick Rose, when Thibodeau sliced the Knicks' rotation to nine men.
From there on out, Fournier appeared in only 14 games, playing at least 20 minutes only twice over the final 69 games. He was forced to watch the Knicks embark on a 47-win campaign and he was not entered into any of the team's 11 playoff games.
Fournier stayed relatively quiet throughout the ordeal but has opened up and then some over the offseason. It doesn't appear that Thibodeau is impressed.
“Your job is to stay ready," Thibodeau said. "So whatever you’re doing, go out there and do it. Be part of the team.”
New York has reportedly engaged in efforts to trade Fournier, but his $18.9 million salary for the 2023-24 season has probably made potential suitors wary. It doesn't help that Fournier, who turns 31 in October, hasn't played consistently meaningful NBA basketball in a while, which he himself pointed out in his aforementioned rant from July. As if Fournier's job to earn minutes wasn't hard enough, he remains trapped in a crowded backcourt picture that just welcomed Donte DiVincenzo to its fold.
Thibodeau was mum when asked if Fournier could his way back into the rotation this preseason, which begins next Monday night against the Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
“We’ll see. He’s part of the team,” Thibodeau said. “Be a pro, and see how it unfolds.”
