Ron Baker
With Derrick Rose sidelined by an injury, the New York Knicks have trusted Ron Baker with the starting point guard duties. Baker had a tough matchup against Chicago Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo, but he held his own and, arguably, outplayed the four-time All-Star.
Regardless of who you believe had the better performance, Baker helped New York win big with a truly well-rounded performance.
Baker picked up nine points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a 3-point field goal made in 37 minutes of play. He shot 4-of-7 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, and accumulated a +/- of +2.
Though it may not have been the best performance of Baker’s career, it was a telling sign of just how capable a player he can be when trusted with increased responsibilities.
Over the course of his past three appearances, Baker is averaging 7.7 points, 5.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 3-point field goals made per game. He’s doing so in 34.7 minutes per game on 52.6 percent shooting from the field.
Baker may not be the player who starts at point guard for years to come, but he appears to have won his coaches over during his rookie season.