In his third NBA season, Evan Fournier is in the midst of a breakout year with the Orlando Magic. After starting just eight games over two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, he has started in every game he has played for the Magic this season.

The Denver Nuggets traded Fournier as part of a package for Arron Afflalo this past June and the early returns are tilting towards Orlando.

Fournier, 22, became a more important member of Denver’s rotation as the 13-14 season progressed, topping out at more than 27 minutes per game in April. In his final eight games with the Nuggets, he averaged 13.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 39.8% shooting.

Magic general manager Rob Hennigan saw something he liked in Fournier, who has become a value perimeter player under coach Jacque Vaughn.

“Evan has been really good for us,” Vaughn said. “He’s accepting the challenge defensively, which I have been really pleased with. His ability to guard two [positions]. He’s big for a guard so that gives us a great luxury as a team.”

At 6-foot-7 and more than 200 pounds, he can be deployed as a defender anywhere on the perimeter. Vaughn values that versatility, which comes on the other side of the ball as well.

“He’s done a lot of other things that he had done previously as far as shooting the basketball, having the basketball in his hands,” the coach added. “We will give it to him at the end of quarters. As another ball-handler on the floor he’s been really good for us.”

The ability to play multiple positions has become more common than it was a decade or two ago due an influx of European players. Fournier can execute anywhere on the court thanks to a development that was overseen by French instructors.

“It’s natural enough for me to play either position,” Fournier told RealGM of sliding between point and shooting guard. “My first two years as a professional in France I played a little bit of point guard, but it’s not my natural position. It’s basketball. You learn how to play all five positions in Europe. I may not be strong enough, but guys like me even learn big man fundamentals.”

Fournier has had a different head coach in each of his three seasons and Vaughn isn’t the first to use him away from his natural position. George Karl played him at the point during his rookie season when Ty Lawson went down with an injury, allowing him to play what was then the best basketball of his NBA career.

“My first year under George Karl I played the one because Lawson was hurt. That was actually when I started to play really good because I’m usually bigger and stronger than typical point guards,” Fournier said. “The two is my natural position, but if I can help the team by moving over that’s great.”

As a team the Magic are at a different stage of development than the Nuggets, giving Fournier a chance to play a ton of minutes as he develops his game. He has embraced the challenge through the first third of the season.

In close to 33 minutes per game, he is averaging 14.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 44.9% shooting. He’s shooting 39.3% from three and trails only Channing Frye (52) on the Magic in made threes (44).

“I think I’ve started the season strong. New team, new teammates and new system. More playing time also, so it has been all very exciting for me,” Fournier admitted. “Now we’re just trying to get better as a team since a lot of our best players have been injured. The main objective is to get better as a group.”

One of the injured players he is referring to is Victor Oladipo, who missed the first nine games of the season. Couple that with a rookie backup point guard (Elfrid Payton) and Fournier handled the ball a lot for the Magic early on. Vaughn is comfortable putting the ball in his hands and for good reason.

Fournier is committing just 11.3 turnovers per 100 possessions, the lowest rate of his career. Oladipo’s rate is 18.2 and Payton’s 22.0. Fournier has grown on the court in part due to his experience with the French national team this past summer.

“I had the World Championships, which changed a lot of my offseason plans,” Fournier said. “I was playing games all summer long with the French national team, which was a great learning experience. We won the bronze medal, which the best we’ve ever done. I’m very proud of it and it was just another way to learn. You can talk to Boris Diaw and Tony Parker and all these guys who have more experience.”

Like many European players before him, Fournier benefited from having learned multiple roles as a young player. As we talk, tape of the Boston Celtics, Wednesday night’s opponent, runs from a recent game against Philadelphia 76ers. 

“Look there,” he nudges me. “[Alexey] Shved just played the one, but he’s a two. Overseas when you grow up, when you’re young, you don’t play a fixed position. You play one, two, three, four. It makes things easier because you learn more about the game and you also get a lot of opportunities.”