The Man, The Myth, The Baker: Why Knicks fans love Ron Baker

New York Knicks guard Ron Baker provides very little statistically, but makes a positive impact on the team. What is it that makes Baker so beloved?

Ron Baker has slowly but surely cemented his New York Knicks legacy. Ron Baker, aka “Ron Burgundy,” has become a Knicks folk lord of sorts in only two short seasons. Why exactly? I’m not sure any basketball fan knows.

What I do know is that I yell “RON” every time he checks in, scores a basket, or even misses a shot. All great players have something known as the “IT” factor, and Baker has it. Not the same “IT” factor the LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or even Kristaps Porzingis, but the same “IT” factor Brian Scalabrine has.

His impact goes beyond the stats, because frankly, they’re not very good. So let’s take a deeper look at the legend that is Ron Baker.

The Stats

Ron Baker is averaging 3.3 points, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 rebounds with a PER of 10.5 on the season. He’s 11th on the team in minutes played at 14.8 per game in 18 appearances this season.

His PER is currently ranked 269th amongst 343 qualified NBA players, per ESPN. He actually ranks ahead of fellow Knicks Frank Ntilikina and Lance Thomas.

His career-high came last year against the Golden State Warriors, when he scored 13 points. His scoring numbers rarely reach double digits, nor does he consistently play over 20 minutes. With such lackluster stats, it isn’t his statistical performance that gains his admiration around the league.

In spite of all this, he’s solidified his role on New York’s bench, and was even mentioned as part of the Knicks’ core. How long he’s will be a part of the core? That is still to be to determined, but his technical no-trade clause will keep him here for the next two seasons.

The Grit

Ron Baker’s play on the court doesn’t show up in the box score, but his coaches and teammates notice it. He plays with a reckless abandon on the court that’s matched by very few on the court.

Sometimes you see him dribble and wonder how in the world he’s on a professional basketball team, while other times you wonder how he got that pass through such tight defense. He looks more like Zac Efron in a “High School Musical” movie than an NBA player, and I think that’s why everything he does is so amplified by the media and his fans.

His best skill is his defense, and it has earned him recognition as a solid defender.

Defense is all about effort, and no one seems to put more effort into their play on the court than Baker. His effort is what got him into the league, and his effort is what will keep him in the league.

He always seems like he’s trying harder than everyone else when he’s on the court. He isn’t physically gifted like Porzingis, nor does he have the raw talent of a Michael Beasley (the hero), so his effort and defensive intensity will always be his bread and butter in the NBA.

If he had an NBA archetype, it would be an all-around defender, who is below average at everything but defense. With so little defense in the NBA, and especially little on the Knicks, his constant efforts are a very welcome sight.

A Defining Moment

There is a moment in every player’s career that makes them who they are. For Kyrie Irving, it was the game-winning three he buried in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. For LeBron James, it was the block he had against Andre Iguodala in those very same Finals.

Ron Baker’s moment however, may have already come in just his second year in the league. On the evening of December 30, 2017 during a regular season game in New Orleans, Ron Baker showed the world exactly who he is.

With the Knicks up 12 with 4:28 remaining in the 2nd quarter, Porzingis gambled for a steal on a pass directed toward Anthony Davis and missed. This led to a wide-open drive to the basket for one of the best players in the league, for what was assumed to be an uncontested dunk.

That’s not how it went.

Yes, the 6’4″ 220-pound Baker attempted to block a dunk from the 6’10” Anthony Davis. His block attempt went exactly how you imagined it would. He got posterized and received an orbital fracture to his left eye for his effort.

Not only did he not block it, but he received a foul for receiving an orbital fracture. Crazy as it may sound, this is why he’s loved in New York.

Baker had to have known he wasn’t going to block Davis’ dunk attempt. Yet, he still gave 100 percent to try and stop an easy bucket. Many pros would have just allowed the dunk, but not Baker.

Baker thought, “No easy buckets.” That’s he type of mentality the Knicks have been missing for far too long.

So cheers to Ron Baker, the man who looks like he could be a background extra in a high school scene of a movie and has a phone that doesn’t recognize him.

Keep on baking, Ron.