1. Building For The Future
The New York Knicks have done a respectable job of blending promising young players with established veterans. For instance, Willy Hernangomez is 22 years of age, Mindaugas Kuzminskas is 26, Marshall Plumlee is 24, and Kristaps Porzingis is 21.
Here’s the issue with that list: of those young players who are expected to make the 2016-17 main roster, all play a frontcourt position.
The Knicks have two point guards—Derrick Rose, 28, and Brandon Jennings, 27—who project to be costly free agents in 2017. Shooting guard Justin Holiday, 27, will join them in free agency.
Even Courtney Lee, who signed a four-year deal, is 31 years of age, while Sasha Vujacic is 32.
The Knicks need youth and long-term value in the backcourt, which is exactly where Ron Baker comes into play.
Baker is a 23-year-old combo guard who can do a bit of everything on both ends of the floor. Whether or not he has an immediate impact on the Knicks, his presence would show that New York is thinking bigger than just a two or three-year plan.
After years of short-sighted desperation moves, the Knicks can commit to a sustainable future by giving a promising young player a chance to gain experience on the main roster.
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If nothing else, Baker making the cut would signal a change of principles in New York.