MILWAUKEE — As shooting struggles define the Knicks’ rocky start, the franchise’s 3-point record holder sits on the bench with an understanding he probably won’t get off it.
“I think the guys found something in the way they played last year, and they’re going to stick to that,” Evan Fournier said in an interview with The Post. “So, it’s not up to me.”
Fournier, 31, is the only member of the 15-man roster with zero appearances in the opening six games.
It’s a continuation of his role from last season, when the Frenchman lost his starting spot to Quentin Grimes and was soon out of the rotation.
After voicing his displeasure over the situation and angling for a trade, Fournier entered training camp with hope — however farfetched — that he could win back a rotation spot.
He logged 76 minutes in preseason with seven 3-pointers — tied for second on the team — but quickly knew it probably wouldn’t translate to regular playing time.
“My mentality was definitely to show that I deserve to play. But I kind of knew the deal coming in,” Fournier said. “I kind of knew the deal that the rotation was similar to last season. So when [coach Tom Thibodeau] told me I wasn’t going to be part of the rotation, I wasn’t surprised.”
After Friday night’s offensive flop in a 109-105 loss in Milwaukee, the Knicks (2-4) were shooting 39.9 percent for the season — dead last in the NBA — and ranked 24th in 3-point efficiency at 32.4 percent.
In their past two games — both defeats without an injured RJ Barrett — New York managed a combined 15-for-69 (21.7 percent) on treys.
“We have to do more. It’s not about individuals. It’s about the team,” Thibodeau said in an animated postgame presser Friday night. “You don’t have to shoot well to play well, right? And that goes for everybody. As a team, we’re not shooting well right now. Whatever we gotta do to find a way to win, that’s what we gotta do. We have more than enough to win.
“Look, RJ is a terrific player, right? But we got a deep bench. Next guy get in there. We can win. We don’t have to shoot well to be able to win. We have to defend. We have to rebound and keep our turnovers down. We do that, we’re gonna have a chance to win. And then some nights we’ll shoot it better than others.”
Without Barrett, Thibodeau cut his rotation to eight players against the Bucks on Friday.
Two nights earlier versus the Cavaliers, Miles McBride elevated to nine minutes off the bench for a soft nine-man rotation. Julius Randle has absorbed the most criticism for misfiring, but Donte DiVincenzo (35.7 percent field goal percentage), Josh Hart (33.3 percent) and even Mitchell Robinson (41.4 percent) have been subpar shooters.
Fournier, the oldest player on the roster, was signed in 2021 as the starting shooting guard and billed as a cure to the offensive struggles of a playoff defeat to the Hawks.
He set the franchise record for 3-pointers his first season, but the Knicks underwhelmed, and defensive issues, along with Grimes’ ascension, prompted a change.
Fournier expected a relocation in the summer, but the Knicks resisted because his $19 million expiring contract could be a trade asset to match salaries.
Fournier said he’s not counting the days until the trade deadline, if only because that’s an unhealthy lifestyle.
He’s a buyout candidate if not dealt by Feb. 8 deadline.
“It’s a day-to-day thing. It really is. You can’t project yourself so far out,” he said. “On a day-to-day basis, I can’t be thinking about the trade deadline. It’s so far out. That’s not a way to live.”
In the mean time, Fournier has an up-close view of the Knicks and remains optimistic.
“I think we have a tough schedule to start. I think the back-to-backs are really hard for the guys, physically. Guys played big minutes again [Friday night],” Fournier said. “But overall, I think we’re doing a pretty good job. I think the defense is good. I feel like the way we shoot the ball obviously, it’s kind of the same story with us. When we make shots, it helps. When we don’t, we become kind of stagnant.
“We had a good opportunity to win [Friday night] against a good team on the road. I think we’re in a pretty good place. Obviously we want to win those games. We just got to stay at it, keep working. We’re going to be alright.”
