"I was at rock bottom" - former Lakers & Warriors guard Quinn Cook wants another shot
Quinn Cook
© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Former Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors guard Quinn Cook has been out of the NBA for over a year and is begging for another chance. It’s difficult to imagine that Cook became a champion for the second time in his career just two years ago. According to the guard, just a few months ago he had hit rock bottom.
Rock bottom
Cook recently shared a tweet of his intention to make another run at the NBA. The Duke product went on to say that a return to the league would mean as much to him as his two title rings. The last time Cook played was in the '20/'21 NBA season for the Cleveland Cavaliers under a 10-day contract. Ahead of the '21/'22 NBA season, he was actually signed by the Portland Trail Blazers but was waived after just two pre-season games.
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As of writing, Cook is with the Stockton Kings, the Sacramento Kings’ G League affiliate. He averaged a stellar 22.9 points on 53.1% shooting from the field and 43.5% from deep through eight games, along with 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds. These stats reveal that Cook can play at a very high level. The highlight clip below reinforces this fact.
Who needs him?
With less than 10 games left in the regular season, it would be tricky for Cook to find a team that needs him. Perhaps his advantage lies in his significant playoff experience. During his stint with the Warriors, Cook showed up big-time when his number was called. He didn’t play much in the playoffs in his stint with the Lakers, but Cook gathered some wisdom during those tense meetings in the locker room led by LeBron James.
Among the playoff contenders, it’s difficult to single out a team in desperate need of a backup point guard. Top teams like the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and the Philadelphia 76ers have their backup roles pretty much locked down. Perhaps a good reason for their success is that they’ve weathered any injury storm that came their way.
A look at the midtier teams reveals that Cook may find a spot with the Cavaliers or the Toronto Raptors. The Cavaliers have actually been using Caris LeVert as their back-up for the point and shooting guard spots. Veteran Rajon Rondo has been out with an ankle sprain. It would be foolish for the Cavs not to include Rondo in their playoff roster. But given his ankle situation, it would be wise for the Cavs to get an experienced player like Cook to guide the young guns.
The Raptors, too, are a bit thin on the backup point guard spot. They have decided to sit out All-Star Fred VanVleet for the final 10 regular-season games. Reports reveal that the Raptors aren’t rushing things about VanVleet’s health. This could open the door for Cook to take over the starting guard spot while VanVleet recovers.
