NYKBocker wrote:Called it. I think this was the right move. Now if they can get rid of KOQ and resign Randle then we are golden

dk7th wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

SkyWalker wrote:Can Baker really play the point? If rose or jennings go down for a few games who would be the backup? Baker?

He handled pressure last night in the closing minutes at the point. He did pretty well. He can play the point a little. I hope the Knicks revisit Randle.

I'd like to see them assign Baker to the D-League so he can get more reps at PG. He has some tools, nut he needs some more work as a PG. It'll help in the long-run. All he has to do is look at Sasha to see how it can help prolong his career.

he already makes great passes-- correct passes-- and sets up teammates for easy buckets. that left-handed underhand rifle last night is proof enough for me. rose and ennings tend to make wild passes while in the air that often lead to either turnovers or low-percentage shots for teammates. he doesn't need reps in d-league he needs a good chunk of ennings minutes on the new york knicks. he's also already a better shooter than ennings and rose.

bottom line is baker makes others around him better and plays better wth better players. the opposite is the case for the two pgs ahead of him. hornacek might have the guts to get baker 16 minutes a game, then again he might fold to the pressure of doing the politically correct thing.

I'm never a proponent of throwing a rookie in PG right out the gate. You look at past rookie PGs and you'll see that they have major struggled. Even the greats like Kidd and Nash. Magic, Penny Hardaway,Paul and, maybe, Tim Hardaway are the only ones I can think of who might've polished enough to contribute immediately to a playoff team straight out of college. I'm not saying Baker should stay in the D-League all season, but he should go there to work on things like scoring in the paint, dribbling under pressure, etc. He's already made great strides, and I think he'll improve more with consistent playing time.

CrushAlot wrote: It is pretty awesome that the Knicks have 5 rookies in a year where they had no picks.

BigDaddyG wrote:

dk7th wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

SkyWalker wrote:Can Baker really play the point? If rose or jennings go down for a few games who would be the backup? Baker?

He handled pressure last night in the closing minutes at the point. He did pretty well. He can play the point a little. I hope the Knicks revisit Randle.

I'd like to see them assign Baker to the D-League so he can get more reps at PG. He has some tools, nut he needs some more work as a PG. It'll help in the long-run. All he has to do is look at Sasha to see how it can help prolong his career.

he already makes great passes-- correct passes-- and sets up teammates for easy buckets. that left-handed underhand rifle last night is proof enough for me. rose and ennings tend to make wild passes while in the air that often lead to either turnovers or low-percentage shots for teammates. he doesn't need reps in d-league he needs a good chunk of ennings minutes on the new york knicks. he's also already a better shooter than ennings and rose.

bottom line is baker makes others around him better and plays better wth better players. the opposite is the case for the two pgs ahead of him. hornacek might have the guts to get baker 16 minutes a game, then again he might fold to the pressure of doing the politically correct thing.

I'm never a proponent of throwing a rookie in PG right out the gate. You look at past rookie PGs and you'll see that they have major struggled. Even the greats like Kidd and Nash. Magic, Penny Hardaway,Paul and, maybe, Tim Hardaway are the only ones I can think of who might've polished enough to contribute immediately to a playoff team straight out of college. I'm not saying Baker should stay in the D-League all season, but he should go there to work on things like scoring in the paint, dribbling under pressure, etc. He's already made great strides, and I think he'll improve more with consistent playing time.

it sounds like you think i believe he's a starter-- he's not starting-caliber and may never be. but i still believe he is worthy of-- and can be a great contributor this season-- for 15-16 minutes a game. he seems like the sort who will thrive under pressure.

the reason why i am high on him is within the context of the knicks' extant split personality. the point guards we acquired for one-year contracts are not triangle players and will NEVER be. yet you have seen that the bench is capable of playing very effectively in the triangle, getting very good open looks. "find the open man." red holzman.

baker has the potential to be the key to having the other four starters-- including carmelo-- be able to run the triangle effectively, let alone the bench. and by the way melo is supposed to be the sort of closer that mike jordan and bryant were for their teams at the end of games. i don't see that with ennings and mr. sex belt. i do see that with baker.

dk7th wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

dk7th wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

SkyWalker wrote:Can Baker really play the point? If rose or jennings go down for a few games who would be the backup? Baker?

He handled pressure last night in the closing minutes at the point. He did pretty well. He can play the point a little. I hope the Knicks revisit Randle.

I'd like to see them assign Baker to the D-League so he can get more reps at PG. He has some tools, nut he needs some more work as a PG. It'll help in the long-run. All he has to do is look at Sasha to see how it can help prolong his career.

he already makes great passes-- correct passes-- and sets up teammates for easy buckets. that left-handed underhand rifle last night is proof enough for me. rose and ennings tend to make wild passes while in the air that often lead to either turnovers or low-percentage shots for teammates. he doesn't need reps in d-league he needs a good chunk of ennings minutes on the new york knicks. he's also already a better shooter than ennings and rose.

bottom line is baker makes others around him better and plays better wth better players. the opposite is the case for the two pgs ahead of him. hornacek might have the guts to get baker 16 minutes a game, then again he might fold to the pressure of doing the politically correct thing.

I'm never a proponent of throwing a rookie in PG right out the gate. You look at past rookie PGs and you'll see that they have major struggled. Even the greats like Kidd and Nash. Magic, Penny Hardaway,Paul and, maybe, Tim Hardaway are the only ones I can think of who might've polished enough to contribute immediately to a playoff team straight out of college. I'm not saying Baker should stay in the D-League all season, but he should go there to work on things like scoring in the paint, dribbling under pressure, etc. He's already made great strides, and I think he'll improve more with consistent playing time.

it sounds like you think i believe he's a starter-- he's not starting-caliber and may never be. but i still believe he is worthy of-- and can be a great contributor this season-- for 15-16 minutes a game. he seems like the sort who will thrive under pressure.

the reason why i am high on him is within the context of the knicks' extant split personality. the point guards we acquired for one-year contracts are not triangle players and will NEVER be. yet you have seen that the bench is capable of playing very effectively in the triangle, getting very good open looks. "find the open man." red holzman.

baker has the potential to be the key to having the other four starters-- including carmelo-- be able to run the triangle effectively, let alone the bench. and by the way melo is supposed to be the sort of closer that mike jordan and bryant were for their teams at the end of games. i don't see that with ennings and mr. sex belt. i do see that with baker.

His movement away from the ball is superb. Making reads as the ball swings to him, and his movement allows him to get the openings for the ball to swing to him. He isn't going to blow by defenders though with the ball in his hands though. I like him as an off ball combo guard who can make the right reads complimenting the lead guard.

Here's a good pg like setup for 3.

blkexec wrote:

nyknickzingis wrote:So gonnna be

Noah/Hernangomez/Plumlee/OQuinn
Porzingis/Thomas/NDour
Anthony/Kuzminskas
Lee/Vujacic/Holiday
Rose/Jennings/Baker

Our one thin spot is 2 guard. Could see Hornachek go with some Rose-Jennings backcourt lineups to boost the backcourt skill level.

Is this weakness on offense or defense?

Because as far as defending the 2, baker, lee, sasha is pretty deep.

Yeah, also Holiday seems solid defensively on the ball and is long. I think he'll be the 2nd string SG w/Sasha getting fewer minutes but also playing the PG position from time to time.

My concern about defense is down low, I think the Knicks are thin from a bodying up perspective and vs. a power game in the paint. That's what I'm seeing as an area of weakness going into the season.

dk7th wrote:baker has the potential to be the key to having the other four starters-- including carmelo
-- be able to run the triangle effectively, let alone the bench. and by the way melo is
supposed to be the sort of closer that mike jordan and bryant were for their teams at the
end of games. i don't see that with ennings and mr. sex belt. i do see that with baker.