Yes, I know, I should've wanna replace Rose with Baker after one performance, but in that fourth quarter I saw what was wrong with the Knicks and what could be right for the future.
What I saw from Baker was something special. No, he's not an MVP caliber player Rose once was. No, he doesn't have Isaiah Thomas speed; he doesn't have immaculate range Stephen Curry has, but there's something from the way he carries himself that spells 'winning'.
I remember watching him during preseason, and Mike Breen and Clyde Frazier talked how he's the type player that's always in the 'right place, right time'. And when you're New York sports for over twenty years, like myself, you know there was one player who played in New York that had that same quote attached to him: That was Derek Jeter.
That caught my attention, when Breen and Frazier said that.
Acquiring Rose this past summer was a 'can't lose' move for the Knicks. Has an expiring contract and didn't give anything major. It's also a great move for the Knicks from standpoint that could trade him this season, since he's got that expiring contract. And the way this team is looking, being three games under .500 in January 8th, this could be the best and only move for the Knicks.
We've also discussed trading Carmelo Anthony, as well. Although I'd take my chance on keeping Melo, since he is a better scorer than Rose, with the fact that Rose has become a one dimensional scorer. Unlike Melo, he can't shoot the ball, anymore.
Both players (Melo and Rose) love to score first and not make anyone around them better and both players wanna play hero ball in every possession.
At least Melo in past couple of games has shown to progress in facilitating the ball. But Rose comes in and doesn't do any of that. He's suppose to be our point-guard; he's suppose to make everyone around him better. The Knicks haven't had a true point-guard to play with Melo, since Jeremy Lin.
And let's be honest here, Melo and Rose don't seem to be the friendliest. Since this losing skid, I never see them talk or cheer with each other. And I've always said, the Knicks can be very dangerous if Melo and Rose gain chemistry. They've not gain any of that, not once, this season. They're looking at taking the last shot. You can deal with one ego like that, not two -- especially when those two egos are on the decline.
I really do think the Knicks can trade Rose. I know he's got a no-trade clause on his contract, but I believe he'd accept a trade to a winning team. A team I thought that'd be great for him is Oklahoma City Thunder. He's be a perfect guard for Russell Westbrook or his backup when Westbrook is on the bench.
Rose is still very solid, I just think he play with Melo -- which is something we should've saw when he got traded to New York this summer.
I know we only got to see Baker play very little minutes, but from those minutes he's played, he's shown something.
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