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2016 NBA Draft Sleeper: Ron Baker

By Eric Laboissonniere

Feb 9, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Wichita State Shockers guard Ron Baker (31) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Drake Bulldogs at Knapp Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Wichita State Shockers guard Ron Baker (31) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Drake Bulldogs at Knapp Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ron Baker had a magnificent college career, and some team should take a chance on him late in the second round of the NBA draft.

If an NBA team wants do draft a player that can help out right away in the second round, the team should look for mature and polished four-year players. Ron Baker played four years at Wichita State and he has the type of tools and intangibles to help out a plethora of teams at the next level.

You might remember him from the undefeated Wichita State team during the 2013-14 season or you might remember him for just being in college forever. However you remember him, it does not matter because Baker is a very good player with a high basketball IQ.

At Wichita State, he wasn’t the primary scoring option until his senior year and in his last year as a Shocker, he averaged 14.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and shot 42.4 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep.

He honestly did not have that great a senior campaign, his numbers were better as a junior and he was used more during the 2014-15 season (14.7 PPG and 38.3 percent from deep).

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Baker’s statistics are not going to jump off the page, but if you watch him play, you will love his grit, toughness and refusal to lose.

Ron Baker is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, which is ideal size for a shooting guard at the next level. He has great hands to disrupt passing lanes and he is good perimeter defender. He is not very athletic or quick, but he is a smart player that knows how to step up on both ends of the floor.

Baker probably will never be a top scoring option on an NBA team in the future, but he has the potential to be a knockdown shooter and great defender at the next level.

Overall

Baker has the potential to be a solid role player in the NBA and he should be able to help out a team right away. He is not a flashy player, he is just going to make the right plays and do his job on the court when called upon.

He will not have to force up shots at the next level, which is good news, and he is not bad at attacking the rim, but it is not one of his strengths.

If a team takes a chance on Baker late in the second round (projected to go undrafted by many mock drafts), they will take a chance on him because of his toughness, high basketball IQ, and ability to knockdown the deep ball.

There is a high probability that Ron Baker will not hear his name called at the 2016 NBA Draft, but that does not mean he will not end up on an NBA roster. He was a fantastic college player who shined against all of the top competition.

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Just because he went to a mid-major school and was a walk-on does not mean that he cannot play in the league. Baker has been doubted for most of career and the doubters are not going to stop him now. Teams with second-round draft picks should take a chance on Baker.

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