Ron Baker has received interest from several teams around the NBA. Here is why the New York Knicks need to make an offer he can’t refuse.
Ron Baker went undrafted and signed to the New York Knicks as a free agent on August 1, 2016. Through much of the first half of the season, Baker saw few opportunities on the court. As the Knicks struggled to pair together the entire second half of the season, Baker came to life.
The first sign of his growing potential in the NBA came in a clutch fourth quarter performance.
Baker recorded eight points and four assists in 12 key minutes. His contributions were the key to propelling the Knicks to a victory that snapped a six-game losing streak.
Marc Berman of The New York Post reported that even Carmelo Anthony was left starstruck over the undrafted rookie’s late heroics.
"“Amazing minutes, big minutes. One of the biggest reasons we came out with this victory,’’ Anthony said. “Any time you give us major minutes and be a big part of what we were doing out here, he showed something tonight.’’"
Most importantly, Baker earned those minutes over Derrick Rose due to the 2011 MVP’s poor performance that night.
Derrick Rose’s agent has recently stated his interest in returning to New York. However, while we are on the subject, his return just doesn’t fit in with Phil Jackson’s whole philosophy of having only players who buy in to the triangle scheme.
With that being said, here’s why the Knicks need to make Ron Baker an offer he can not refuse.
A Coach’s Favorite Kind Of Player
Baker doesn’t have the flight time that Rose has, or the excellent post offense and clutch shooting of Carmelo Anthony. What he does have, however, is finesse, adaptability, court vision, excellent basketball IQ, and positional versatility.
What else other than his intangibles? His defense is a sure thing, as Baker is constantly hustling and sacrificing his body.
Phil Jackson even felt Baker’s defensive proficiency was worth mentioning during his season-ending press conference back in April.
"“You saw Ronny Baker get up there and get into people’s bodies, get over people and get in front of guys and it’s not going to happen every time but he changed how we played, it’s just as simple as that, getting someone who’s willing to fight and fight into bodies and over screens.”"
The most important part of that sentiment is the, “He changed how we played” part. That’s quite the evaluation from not just anybody, but Phil Jackson himself.
It’s easy to see Baker has plenty of room for improvement. He struggled with hitting from beyond the arc, which was a specialty of his while he was at Wichita State. He finished the season at a dismal 26.7 percent—a number he should never fall to again.
The ball this time is in Phil Jackson’s court. The franchise must do what is necessary to re-sign Baker when he becomes a restricted free agent July 1.
The NBA Draft Shouldn’t Hurt His Odds
The New York Knicks selected point guard Frank Ntilikina with the No. 8 pick at the 2017 NBA Draft. Does this hurt Baker’s odds of returning? Maybe not.
Baker proved toward the end of the season he was more than capable of adjusting to point guard after Rose finished his season with an injury. Even with Ntilikina on the roster, it still makes sense for Baker to return.
What does not make sense is an aging Courtney Lee on an expensive and lengthy contract, while the Knicks are supposedly rebuilding. While Justin Holiday deserves a pay day and way more minutes than he has played thus far, there’s no guaranteeing he’ll return.
The Knicks front court, as of now, has a solid future with Willy Hernangomez and Kristaps Porzingis. The Carmelo Anthony rumors never seem to stop, whether it’s the offseason or not.
With the Knicks going for a point guard in the draft, the Knicks need a realistic future candidate at the No. 2 spot.
The Knicks may have to be the highest bidder when it comes to Baker. According to a recent report by Marc Berman of The New York Post, four other teams contacted Baker at the end of the season.
Mostly winning teams were interested: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as the Brooklyn Nets.
Letting Baker slip through the cracks seems almost inevitable, as the Knicks tend to do these type of things. It seems likely that Baker will indeed sign with a team this year, however, and have an opportunity to continue his career.
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Hopefully the New York Knicks see the same potential that other teams do, and extend an offer to Ron Baker that he can’t refuse.