The defending champion Golden State Warriors are shorthanded right now. With injuries sidelining both of the Splash Brothers, they’ve looked for scoring help — and found a new offensive threat in Quinn Cook.
In his past two games, Cook has put up 25 and 28 points, respectively. He’s done it efficiently, shooting 10 for 13 against Sacramento Friday and 11 for 17 against Phoenix Saturday. He shot 71.4 percent from three in those two games. Cook played over 40 minutes in each of those games, and it has certainly looked like he belongs in the NBA.
Some are calling him Ian Clark 2.0. Cook’s rode to this point, however, has been bumpy to say the least. He went undrafted out of Duke in 2015 and spent the next two seasons in the D League (now G League), garnering a spot in the development league’s All-Star Game in 2016 and 2017.
Cook had brief stints with the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Atlanta Hawks, and he played in 14 NBA games. However, each team waived him. The Warriors offered Cook a two-way contract in Oct. 2017.
Undrafted. Waived four times. 110 career #NBAGLeague games + Rookie of the Year & All-Star MVP awards. And now back-to-back career games for the defending @NBA champs.
What a journey it’s been for @GLeagueWarriors/@Warriors #2WayPlayer QUINN COOK!
» https://t.co/4nyiORF3YP pic.twitter.com/Fdoov2boZs
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 19, 2018
As a result, people are wondering: If the Warriors get healthy, will Cook remain on the roster for the playoffs? Coach Steve Kerr has not yet decided.
“Ask me again in three weeks,” Kerr said when a reporter asked if Cook would be on the postseason roster.
It seems like the final spot will come down to Cook and guard/forward Patrick McCaw, who will return from a fractured wrist injury on Monday night.
The question is, will the Warriors prioritize offense or defense? Cook is the far bigger offensive threat, and McCaw is the far superior defender. The decision will likely also depend on Golden State’s overall health when the playoffs roll around.
