Daily Knicks
Fansided

New York Knicks: 5 players for Ron Baker to study

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 6: Ron Baker #31 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during a game against the Washington Wizards on April 6, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 6: Ron Baker #31 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during a game against the Washington Wizards on April 6, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
NEW YORK CITY – 1994: Nate McMillan #10 of the Seattle SuperSonics goes to the basket against the New York Knicks circa 1994 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Copyright 1994 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK CITY – 1994: Nate McMillan #10 of the Seattle SuperSonics goes to the basket against the New York Knicks circa 1994 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Copyright 1994 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Nate McMillan

If Ron Baker’s goal is to become the best possible defender he can be, then there aren’t many better players to study than Nate McMillan. McMillan was a two-time All-Defensive Second Team honoree, but that fails to encompass how strong his contributions truly were.

McMillan had an inch on Baker, but if defensive tenacity and team-first basketball are the objective, then Baker should dig up some of Mr. Sonic’s film.

McMillan and Gary Payton formed one of the most dominant combinations of defensive-minded guards in NBA history. Playing Seattle was no easy task for point guards in the 1980s or 1990s, and McMillan was a major reason why.

When McMillan was on the court, opponents were guaranteed to face the wrath of a combo guard who could lock down any caliber of scorer.

Offensively, McMillan was never much of a scorer, but he proved to be an excellent playmaker. He averaged 6.1 assists per game and 8.6 assists per 36 minutes during his 12-year career, which are numbers Baker could realistically reach.

The New York Knicks want to defend at an elite level as a team, and Baker following in the footsteps of a player like McMillan would help accomplish that goal.

Home/Knicks News