8/20/2004 04:35:40 PM|||Shep|||I can't take any cheap shots at Vin Baker. I mean, the guy can play. He just has a drinking problem.

That said, when I saw the headline: Knicks re-sign Vin Baker, part of my brain (the optimistic side, maybe...?) wanted to think it said Knicks resign Vin Baker.

Fantasy Impact

Thomas (Isiah, sp? That's how ESPN had it...) said Vin was a solid contributor off the bench and (now I'm interpreting what he said here) wanted to give him a clean start from the beginning of the season. He averaged 18 minutes, but played well when given more time. However, the Knicks have acquired Jerome Williams in the offseason, and I can see that cutting into Baker's playing time. If Baker can get his FG% back up to the 50% he was shooting in Boston last season, I can see him posting 11, 6, and maybe 1 or 2 assists. He shot 57% through the 4 Knicks play-off games... so it's certainly possible. That would put him just above the league average, making him a worthy pick for a 12 team league. I'd prefer to look for someone who might score less and get more rebounds or blocks, since points are much easier to come by. And of course, he doesn't have upside like other PF's you could pick up.
|||109303894083136542|||Vin Baker