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I'm not sure of your definition of "incompetently handled" is, but it
seems the NTSB found the collision more the fault of the Phantom Phlyer
than the Baron pilot. Here's the quote from the end of the report you
linked us to:

The Nat.ona1 Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable
cause of this accident was the failure of the F-4C pilot to maintain an
appropriate intercept c1osir;g speed and a safe separation distance
between his airplane and the Beech Baron.
Contributing to the accident were the Beech Baron pi1o:'s penetration of
the Air Defense Identification Zone and his faiiure to follow any of
several prescribed procedures which would have permitted early positive
identification after penetration, and the failure of the Fertile Controi
staff to coordinate information concerning positive identification of the
Baron in a timely manner, delaying a decision to terminate the intercept
mission.


Here's another quote from that report:

"The National Transportation Safety Board did not determine the probable
cause of this accident and offered the following statements of cause:"

You quoted only the probable cause statement of NTSB members Patricia
Goldman and Patrick Bursley. Member Vernon Grose saw it a bit differently:

"The probable causes of this accident were (a) the unauthorized penetration
of an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), (b) ambiguity in
responsibility
between the Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) and NORAD
SAGE facilities regarding identification and control of unknown aircraft,
(c) deviation by the Baron pilot from a requirement to activate a previously
filed VFR flight plan and thus declare ADIZ penetration, (d) fsilure [sic]
of the Baron pilot to file and activate an instrument flight plan before
operating in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), (e) inadequate
tracking sensitivity for both ground and airborne radar for the intended
mission, (f) use of an excessive closure rate between unidentified aircraft
and F4-C while depending on visual identification in IMC, and (g)
continuation of the F-4C intercept mission after identification of the Baron
hed [sic] been established."