Jordan Baker: Doing it all for Edmonton

Being out of the professional game of basketball since the fall of 2016 due to a jaw injury, it was only right for Jordan Baker to lace up his sneakers in just special occasions.

And playing for his hometown was that.

With less than a month left in the inaugural Canadian Elite Basketball League season, Baker has left his mark on not only the Edmonton Stingers but across the entire league.

Like most, he heard rumbles about the CEBL in its early stages on social media but after finding out his former head coach Barnaby Craddock would help start the ship, it was a situation that was too sweet to pass up.

“I’ve been out of the professional game for a couple years, but the opportunity to play pro basketball in my hometown sounded like a lot of fun.”

Fun is probably an understatement for what the last few months have been for Baker, who not only got another chance to play for his hometown but also tied the knot and got married this summer, spending his honeymoon in the tropical beaches of Hawaii.

Baker returned to the team in July and has simultaneously fit into new Stingers head coach and general manager Jermaine Small’s system like a solved puzzle. Even with Craddock’s departure and him slightly adjusting to more of a facilitator and rebounding role, Small can’t praise Baker enough for making his transition to head coach extremely easy.

The 6’7 forward is described as the glue guy to this Stingers team, averaging 14.5 points, a league-leading 9.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 50 percent shooting through 13 games. If Baker isn’t outsmarting you on the court, he’s definitely outworking you.

“In his matchups, he’s usually the less athletic of the two but with him, it just comes down to his IQ and his tenacity,” Small said. “He just wants it more and he pursues it, it’s very Kevin Love like.”

The stats are impressive, but to the Stingers coaching staff, it’s Baker’s understanding of the game that elevates his talents even more. Since 2017, Baker has been an assistant under Craddock for the University of Alberta with his ultimate goal to become a head coach at the U SPORTS level.

With that goal in mind and his recent return to playing professional basketball, it’s helped him understand the coach's perspective, better than most.

“The biggest thing is how receptive to coaching and how you take criticism,” Baker said.

“When you’re a coach, you see a lot of negative reactions in terms of how guys are reacting to being coached or criticized. When you now step back in the player's shoe, you understand the best way to get things done is to say ‘take a step back and let cooler heads prevail,’ and essentially let the coach do what he does.”

To Small, he’s been a leader by example. Being one of the oldest guys on the roster, his eagerness to do anything to prevent the team from losing is unparalleled.

“His mindset is different than the guys, even in our practices, we do sprints, he never loses one,” Small said. “You have to remember for him, it’s different because he’s actually from Edmonton so he feels most obligated to (win) for the community.”

Putting on for the city has become second nature for Baker, who’s also hoping to qualify for the first-ever 3x3 Olympics in 2020 with Team Edmonton. He’ll be jumping right back into the 3x3 World Tour at the end of August, with tournaments in Canada and potentially overseas to conclude the season.

As of right though, he’s focused on ending the final leg of the season on the right note and with Championship Weekend approaching, it's win or go home for Baker and the Stingers.

With them holding the best record in the league entering the tournament, the pressure to deliver can’t get any bigger. But they’re not stressing about that. For Baker, it’s all about locking in and making sure the team's defensive cohesion is what separates from the rest of the pack and makes them champions come Aug. 25.

“Everyone says defence wins championships and I really do believe that,” Baker said. “Teams are going to come in with crazy schemes and all you need to do is win one game and all of a sudden you’re in the finals. We gotta make sure from the opening tip we’re well prepared and we’re disciplined and execute the game plan."

By Libaan Osman