Knicks · Knicks sign Ron Baker (page 2)

newyorker4ever wrote:This is the kind of player that gives you his all when he's on the floor and has a high basketball IQ so i'm looking forward to watching him in the SL. I was hearing a lot of rumors before the draft that we liked W.Selden and Yogi Ferrell and both are free agents so i'm surprised we haven't signed either of them, maybe they were just wrong rumors which is shocking to hear any new york media to come out with any wrong rumors...lol.

CrushAlot wrote:

newyorker4ever wrote:This is the kind of player that gives you his all when he's on the floor and has a high basketball IQ so i'm looking forward to watching him in the SL. I was hearing a lot of rumors before the draft that we liked W.Selden and Yogi Ferrell and both are free agents so i'm surprised we haven't signed either of them, maybe they were just wrong rumors which is shocking to hear any new york media to come out with any wrong rumors...lol.

Ferrell signed with the Nets.

Sean Marks had a pretty solid first draft.

fishmike wrote:this guy defends.

A couple of years ago I would've said this is a very decent pick. He stayed in school and to me he was just so under whelming the last two years when you thought he'd spike up in play. I'm not sure what he is but I think there were other possibilities to actually sign he was more a guy that deserved to get a roster spot on asl team.

WaltLongmire wrote:Early can teach his old teammate how not to get shot in the big city.

BRIGGS wrote:

fishmike wrote:this guy defends.

A couple of years ago I would've said this is a very decent pick. He stayed in school and to me he was just so under whelming the last two years when you thought he'd spike up in play. I'm not sure what he is but I think there were other possibilities to actually sign he was more a guy that deserved to get a roster spot on asl team.

fishmike wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

fishmike wrote:this guy defends.

A couple of years ago I would've said this is a very decent pick. He stayed in school and to me he was just so under whelming the last two years when you thought he'd spike up in play. I'm not sure what he is but I think there were other possibilities to actually sign he was more a guy that deserved to get a roster spot on asl team.

its a non guaranteed contract... he's a summer league player. If they like him he's in the mix for a roster spot.

Outstanding on ball defender --- very comparable also to L-Galloway.

anrst wrote:how about comparing him to a black player. joe johnson.

but if you do that, have to say "a less athletic version of........."

BRIGGS wrote:Forget the comparisons. I'd like to know why he regressed the last two years. Two years ago I would've said poor mans ginobli but he just went backwards the last two years

Kind of a moot point.

If he hadn't regressed, he woudn't be a Knick

Knickoftime wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Forget the comparisons. I'd like to know why he regressed the last two years. Two years ago I would've said poor mans ginobli but he just went backwards the last two years

Kidd of a moot point.

If he hadn't regressed, he woudn't be a Knick

Let's hope he gets motivated by the opportunity to be in the next level.

NBA Draft 2016 Scouting Report: Ron Baker's experience can help and hurt him on draft night
By Austin Brown  @AustinOBrown on Jun 21, 2016, 3:03p +

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Baker is a 23-year-old sharp-shooter with a high basketball IQ and an off the charts work ethic.

 TWEET SHARE (21) PIN
Shooting Guard
Wichita State, Sr., 23
6'4, 220 pounds
6'9.75 wingspan, 35.5'' max vert

2015-16 Statistics: 14.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.6 TOPG, 42.4% FG, 79.3% FT, 35.0% 3P

Summary: Ron Baker is a solid outside shooter with a high basketball IQ. He went from a virtually unknown walk-on to one of the best college players in the country in just a few short years. The biggest turn-off for NBA teams will be his age; at 23, Baker is one of the oldest players in the draft. For reference, Baker is three months older than Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who is about to enter his fifth NBA season. In an era where NBA teams tend to target 18-20 year-olds who they can develop for the first few years of their career, Baker's age definitely does not do him any favors.

Offensive Breakdown: He does everything well, but does not have any singular standout skill that jumps off the page. His greatest strength is his ability to knock down mid- to long-range jump shots. Baker is also a solid distributor with one of the lowest turnover rates of any guard in the nation throughout his career. If he can continue to improve his three-point shooting, he could potentially find a role as an instant offense guy coming off the bench for an NBA team.

Defensive Breakdown: Baker was a decent on-ball defender in college, but that should be taken with a grain of salt when you compare the talent levels of the Missouri Valley to the players he will be asked to guard in the NBA. He is undersized for a shooting guard, and he will often give up 4-6 inches on opposing shooting guards. He also doesn't have great lateral quickness by NBA guard standards.

Draft Projection: Late second round or undrafted. While he has sound fundamentals and all the makings of a solid prospect, he will take at least a few years to fully develop to a level where he can substantially contribute to an NBA team. A 23-year-old who won't fully develop into a rotation guy until he's 26-27 is not exactly high on the list of offseason needs for most NBA teams.

All that being said, Baker also has one of the best work ethics of any player in the draft. He played 3A high school basketball in Kansas, received just two D-I offers and five years later, we're sitting here talking about him playing in the NBA. While his age will mostly be viewed as a negative by most NBA scouts, it also means he is vastly more mature than a lot of the one-and-done guys at the top of the draft board. You definitely don't have to worry about him getting arrested at a strip club or starting a fight in the locker room. An NBA team will undoubtedly give him a shot either through the draft or as an undrafted free agent.

ChuckBuck wrote:I hope this thread gets to 34 pages and then he gets cut right before camp.

damn thats cold
funny as hell
but cold

Just trying to read the tea leaves.

WaltLongmire wrote:Knicks worked him out and seemed to sign him almost immediately after the draft. He was actually the first UDA Wojo reported being signed by a team. Have to conclude that the Knicks liked what they saw when they worked him out.

Just trying to read the tea leaves.

And had the Knicks spent $2.5m to buy him at #56 or whatever, many of the complaints of the last 18 hours would be invalidated.

Perception is everything.

CrushAlot wrote:

NBA Draft 2016 Scouting Report: Ron Baker's experience can help and hurt him on draft night
By Austin Brown  @AustinOBrown on Jun 21, 2016, 3:03p +

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Baker is a 23-year-old sharp-shooter with a high basketball IQ and an off the charts work ethic.

 TWEET SHARE (21) PIN
Shooting Guard
Wichita State, Sr., 23
6'4, 220 pounds
6'9.75 wingspan, 35.5'' max vert

2015-16 Statistics: 14.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 1.6 TOPG, 42.4% FG, 79.3% FT, 35.0% 3P

Summary: Ron Baker is a solid outside shooter with a high basketball IQ. He went from a virtually unknown walk-on to one of the best college players in the country in just a few short years. The biggest turn-off for NBA teams will be his age; at 23, Baker is one of the oldest players in the draft. For reference, Baker is three months older than Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who is about to enter his fifth NBA season. In an era where NBA teams tend to target 18-20 year-olds who they can develop for the first few years of their career, Baker's age definitely does not do him any favors.

Offensive Breakdown: He does everything well, but does not have any singular standout skill that jumps off the page. His greatest strength is his ability to knock down mid- to long-range jump shots. Baker is also a solid distributor with one of the lowest turnover rates of any guard in the nation throughout his career. If he can continue to improve his three-point shooting, he could potentially find a role as an instant offense guy coming off the bench for an NBA team.

Defensive Breakdown: Baker was a decent on-ball defender in college, but that should be taken with a grain of salt when you compare the talent levels of the Missouri Valley to the players he will be asked to guard in the NBA. He is undersized for a shooting guard, and he will often give up 4-6 inches on opposing shooting guards. He also doesn't have great lateral quickness by NBA guard standards.

Draft Projection: Late second round or undrafted. While he has sound fundamentals and all the makings of a solid prospect, he will take at least a few years to fully develop to a level where he can substantially contribute to an NBA team. A 23-year-old who won't fully develop into a rotation guy until he's 26-27 is not exactly high on the list of offseason needs for most NBA teams.

All that being said, Baker also has one of the best work ethics of any player in the draft. He played 3A high school basketball in Kansas, received just two D-I offers and five years later, we're sitting here talking about him playing in the NBA. While his age will mostly be viewed as a negative by most NBA scouts, it also means he is vastly more mature than a lot of the one-and-done guys at the top of the draft board. You definitely don't have to worry about him getting arrested at a strip club or starting a fight in the locker room. An NBA team will undoubtedly give him a shot either through the draft or as an undrafted free agent.

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2016/6/21...

draftnet game him a score of 91 overall... and this is from Givony in 2014:

He is not the most prolific scorer around (17.9 points per-40), but plays extremely efficient (62% TS%) basketball on a team that likes to share the ball and didn't ask too much from any one player last season, besides their star power forward Cleanthony Early (the #34 pick in last year's draft).

Baker's most consistent weapon offensively is his jump-shot, with 57% of his field goal attempts coming from beyond the arc last season, of which he made a very solid 38%. He has excellent shooting mechanics, with great balance and a quick and compact release, making him extremely reliable with his feet set, where he knocks down 43% of his attempts in catch and shoot situations. It's not hard to see him developing into a very consistent stand-still shooter at the NBA level, even if scouts would likely want to see him improve on the 37% he's shot from 3-point range in his college career thus far, in his junior season.

Baker is far a one-dimensional shooter at the college level, as he sees a good amount of responsibility in pick and roll situations as the secondary ball-handler next to Fred VanVleet. While he does not possess an overwhelmingly quick first step, Baker is a solid ball-handler who operates at different speeds and can create his own shot effectively at the college level when called upon. He is a very good shooter off the dribble, hitting an excellent 40% of his pull-up jumpers last season, and can attack the basket nicely in closeout situations, relying on his terrific timing and footwork, rather than on pure athleticism.

Baker doesn't get inside the paint in the half-court all that often (just twice a game last season according to Synergy), but is solid when he does, as he's extremely crafty with his finishes and shows excellent touch around the rim. He draws fouls at a decent rate, and makes 85% of his free throw attempts once there.

Besides being highly skilled, part of the reason for Baker's success is how smart a basketball player he is. He's extremely mature for someone who only has 53 games of Division I experience underneath his belt, as he knows his limitations, is extremely poised, plays at his own pace, has a very good temperament and has no problem staying within himself and not forcing the issue. He executes Wichita State's disciplined offense very well, as he's extremely unselfish, and shows great chemistry with starting point guard Fred VanVleet.

Baker is an excellent passer, moving the ball crisply and without hesitation, often not needing a single dribble to find the open man impressively. He swings the ball to open shooters, is a terrific post-entry passer, regularly pushes it ahead in transition, and makes very intelligent bounce passes to cutters and rollers on the pick and roll. Baker generates an assist on an impressive 27% of his possessions, a mark that many point guards would be happy to post, which leaves some room for optimism regarding his ability to play a combo guard role at the next level.

Yeah, most of the stuff I chose is positive. The guy is no savior, of course, but seems like a back of the bench teamwork/hustle player who might push Galloway for playing time at some point. He has better size and wingspan than Gallo, who might be a pretty good comparable player, in some ways.

At the very least, I see him on our DL team with the kind of contract we gave some of the guys we had playing there last year.

We will see...