Even if you're critical of his game, convinced that the Sonics power forward will never be an All-Star again, Vin Baker has thrown it in the face of all the cynics ... at least some of the time.
Given his lack of effectiveness and consistency the past few seasons, to say that Baker has improved qualifies as a smallish compliment, especially given the size of his contract.
Tonight he will be tested and analyzed again, matching up with one of the NBA's best power forwards, Chris Webber, as the Sonics take on the Sacramento Kings in KeyArena.
Statistically speaking, Baker has made progress in most areas, averaging 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and shooting 48.5 percent.
He has overcome a knee injury that caused him to miss five games. He has followed coach Nate McMillan's instructions to operate primarily inside. He has remained in shape and, for the most part, produced.
But when you're as talented as Baker, more is expected. Better than he was, yes. As good as was from 1995-98, those All-Star years, no.
At 30, Baker appears to have rekindled his passion and dedication, believing he can average 21 points and 10.3 rebounds like he did in Milwaukee in 1996-97.
"That's a goal, to try to become a 20-and-10 guy," said Baker, in 20th place among Western Conference forwards in All-Star Game balloting. "I can become one of the elite power forwards in the game."
Non-believers scoff at these notions from a Baptist minister's son. It seems that Baker continues to have more skeptics than supporters, all needing more proof in the present because of his sorry Seattle past.
One of the team's minority owners, Howard Schultz, is a Baker convert. Schultz has gone from criticizing Baker's work ethic to praising him so effusively you would think he is without faults.
"I'm around him enough to know that things will only get better," Schultz said. "I'm excited about the commitment he made in the off-season and his follow-through."
Baker's numbers are a notch below those of premier power forwards like Webber, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace, all averaging at least 20 points and eight rebounds.
Baker, though, is shooting better than every one of those players aside from Duncan.
Yet he remains a confounding figure on the floor. Being 6-foot-11 and highly mobile, the Sonics would like to see him grab more rebounds, block more shots, play more defense.
Maybe he is scoring inside, but what is Baker doing at the other end of the court? Is he stopping his man and helping out, rotating crisply to the ball? Or is his man scoring too, offsetting the field goal he just made.
And is Baker coming through at crucial times against marquee opponents or inflating his stats late in games against subpar competition?
It depends on your viewpoint, but Baker is just like his team: clicking some nights, off on others, contributing more frequently than he used to.
Interestingly, Baker had his best game of the year against the Los Angeles Lakers, collecting 27 points and nine rebounds as the Sonics pulled off a shocking 104-93 victory Dec. 11 in Staples Center.
Then again, in a previous meeting with the Lakers, Baker was a harmless force when he could have been a wrecking ball after Shaquille O'Neal's early ejection.
In one game against Minnesota, he outplayed Garnett in a Sonics victory. In another against Miami, he had more fouls (6) than points (5) as the Heat broke its 12-game losing streak.
Baker has recorded only one double-digit rebounding game and rarely rejects a shot, this after blocking six attempts by the Clippers in one preseason game. That proves he is capable. But stats show only 14 blocks in 19 games.
Because he relies more on finesse and prefers facing the basket to posting up, Baker is considered soft. He believes it is an unjustified observation.
"I don't feel that way," he said. "Other than Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone, no one gets deeper in the paint than I do. It's an issue and a problem for every team in the league to keep me out of the paint."
Added Schultz: "I don't think he's soft. He's a sensitive young man. That gets misinterpreted sometimes."
From all accounts, Baker is a good person trying to become a better player. He has never ducked criticism, always responding in the locker room if not on the floor.
Desmond Mason said that Baker is a good teammate and a funny one at that, continually cracking jokes.
Schultz talks about Baker as being "such a sweet guy" and having a "wonderful soul," seeking redemption, wanting to make it up to his teammates and the city of Seattle.
If Baker graded himself, it would be a "C-plus or B-minus. I want to keep improving. I can be much more dominant than I have been."
In the past four games, Baker is averaging 20 points, developing into a nightly aggressor, one would hope for the rest of the season.
"The glass is absolutely half-full," Schultz said.
Which beats the heck out of nearly empty.
Sonics vs. Kings
WHEN: Tonight, 7
WHERE: KeyArena
TV/RADIO: KONG/6, 16; KJR-AM/950
RECORDS: Kings 19-7 after defeating Detroit, 102-98, last night; Sonics 11-15. Kings won first meeting, 101-95, in season opener in Sacramento.
INJURY REPORT: Kings: F Lawrence Funderburke (Achilles' tendon) is out. F Peja Stojakovic (lower back strain) is questionable. Sonics: C Calvin Booth (ankle tendinitis), C Jerome James (sprained foot) and F Vladimir Radmanovic (sprained ankle) are out.
SCOUTING REPORT: Kings expected to be biggest threat to Lakers in the West, especially now with Chris Webber returning from sprained ankle, averaging 22 points and nine rebounds. Kings have plenty of talent around Webber, from Seattle's own Doug Christie, who had 12 rebounds and seven assists Sunday night against Memphis, to Stojakovic, one of the league's deadliest shooters. He arrives, however, at less than full strength with back problems. Center Vlade Divac scored 27 points against Sonics in first meeting. Gerald Wallace, a 19-year-old rookie, came off the bench with career highs of 20 points and nine rebounds against the Grizzlies.
OUTLOOK: Although Kings are one of premier teams in NBA, they are like all of the rest in that they can be had on the road. Their record away from ARCO Arena is 6-6. They also are playing on back-to-back nights, while the Sonics tip it off on three days' rest, which should be a winning combination for Nate McMillan's team.
LINE: Kings by 1 1/2
P-I PICK: Sonics, 100-96