2016 NBA Draft Watch List: Ron Baker

Ron Baker, Senior, Wichita State, Guard, 6’4, 210

(2014-15, 32.7 mpg) 14.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.1 tpg

43.3 FG%, 75.8 FT%, 38.3 3FG%, 56.8 TS%, 53.4 eFG%

23.3 USG%, 13.7 DREB%, 8.3 TRB%, 16.7 AST%, 2.5 STL%, 2.3:1 A/TO

DOB: 3/30/1993 (22) Hometown: Scott City, Kansas

2015 First Team All-Missouri Valley (2^nd consecutive year)

2015 Honorable Mention All-American

2015 United States Pan-American Games Team

The Watch List is not meant to replace full scouting reports and is only meant as a guide for who and what to watch for this upcoming season

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After a breakout sophomore season, Baker improved in many key areas as a junior, and now heads into his senior year as one of the best players in the country. As part of one of the nation’s top backcourts along with Fred VanVleet, Baker has developed into a consistent scoring threat and a continually improving defender. A decent perimeter shooter before last season, Baker has tightened his motion and quickened his release, especially off the catch. He has shown range to near the NBA three-point line, and as he continues to develop his body, hitting from beyond there should be no issue. Baker has also improved his ballhandling, and while still just an average to above-average ballhandler, he has developed a few ways to clear space for his jumper, as well as a solid hesitation dribble when heading to the basket. He uses screens well to attack the basket, or set up space for his jumper, and he moves well without the ball, especially on cuts to the basket, where he can finish with either hand. Baker sees the floor well, and combined with his patience on offense, he can set his teammates up for good scoring chances. Defensively, Baker positions himself well on and off the ball, and has shown good lateral movement, and while he doesn’t have great foot speed, he has worked on compensating in other ways to make sure he doesn’t get beat off the dribble. He plays passing lanes well, and he anticipates movement and passes quickly. Baker rebounds well for his size, especially on the defensive end, and he’s not timid about mixing it up with bigger players for the missed shot.

What he needs to show this season: As I stated last season, for Baker, it’s still very much about polishing up his offensive game. With his ability to use screens and see the floor, Baker could be an effective ballhandler in pick-and-roll situations. He just needs to work on making quick and proper reads. Shot selection can be an issue at times, though the Shockers’ offense can get bogged down, so he settles for long-range jumpers, often while guarded, instead of looking to get to the basket. Baker also started to settle for a lot more jumpers on the whole last season, not looking to get to the rim as much. His offensive and defensive game would both benefit from his working on foot speed, though his skill set and understanding of concepts such as spacing do help him a lot.

Where he fits at the next level: The improvements Baker made last season were substantial in terms of setting up his game for the next level. I understand that he doesn’t have ideal quickness, especially to defend at the NBA level, but I think he is much a better defender than people give him credit for, and his understanding of the game, and how to defend, does make some of the speed issues irrelevant. Now Baker isn’t going to be a point guard, but his ability to run the offense and make smart decisions and passes will help him, and as he continues to fine-tune his shooting stroke, he will be in a good position to impress NBA teams. You don’t come as far as he has in the past few years without being tough and coachable, both things that pro coaches will appreciate.

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