Fight over screens
The 6-foot 11-inch wingspan comes in handy again when Baldwin fights through screens.
In perhaps the best defensive game of his brief two-year career, Baldwin defended Chris Paul and James Harden. Both are outside threats, so Baldwin needed to go over every screen to avoid giving up an easy three points.
Most of the time, he bent around Clint Capela and stopped the three-point attempt, but a few lapses provided Paul and Harden with enough room to drill a three.
As potentially the only Portland guard with the ability to fight over screens and stay with his man, Baldwin will be tasked with defending the offensively better opposing guard. There’s no margin for error in navigating screens if his matchup sinks threes like Paul and Harden do.
If he masters the ability to get through screens, Baldwin can earn a rotation spot because he’ll have an attribute no other guard can match.