Beyond The Court: Good Teammate
In order to build a championship contender, a front office cannot afford to merely throw talent at a wall and hope it sticks. One of the most critical additions to a roster can be a high-character player who helps keep morale high in the locker room.
Ron Baker may or may not become a full-time contributor the NBA, but he’s the type of teammate who would be great for the New York Knicks’ locker room.
Even if Baker proves incapable of cracking the rotation, he’s the type of hungry young player who’d push Brandon Jennings, Courtney Lee, and Derrick Rose in practice. He’d fight defensively, be a scoring threat offensively, and would do whatever he can to earn a spot on the main roster.
During a recent post-practice interview with reporters, Baker was asked what he can provide the Knicks. The answer he provided:
"“I think just a great attitude, energy, effort; things that you can’t control. And just a shot-making ability around the perimeter. And just being a good teammate. Those things are very important to me. If you can control what you are able to control each and every day, I think everything pans out the way it should.”"
Having great guys in the locker room can be just as important to fostering a winning culture as what happens on the court.
Baker is an unselfish contributor whose primary focus has always been the success of the team. In New York, that’s the type of short and long-term presence who can help the coaching staff and the players.
Though it may be easier to find 3-point shooters in the modern NBA than ever before, one of the most irreplaceable traits in basketball is true unselfishness. Baker provides that.
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