For a team that finished in the bottom 3 in three-point percentage in 3 of the 4 previous seasons, the arrival of Quinn Cook was a godsend.
His mix of blueblood pedigree (NCAA title with Duke in 2015), youth (26 years old when he signed in the summer of 2019) and championship experience (won a ring with the 2018 Golden State Warriors) was exactly what Rob Pelinka and his front office had in mind when it came to building a supporting cast around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
However, the configuration of the roster gave Cook plenty of competition, as Rajon Rondo and Alex Caruso soaked minutes as ballhandlers, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Avery Bradley impressed in the backcourt, and Jared Dudley and (early on) Troy Daniels displayed their own measures of hot shooting.
Yet Cook proved to be ready whenever his name was called. He scored 17 in wins against the Bulls and Wizards in November, while also coming up with arguably the toughest bucket of the month:
He also developed great chemistry with his fellow members of the second unit.
Having a vicious screener like Dudley makes a shooter’s life a lot easier:
His season-high was a 22-point performance against the Orlando Magic in mid-January.
That night, Cook went 9-for-14 – including an excellent 4-for-7 from downtown.
His role shrank as the trade deadline neared, and the arrival of Markieff Morris and Dion Waiters, as well as the emergence of Caruso, relegated him to the fringes of the rotation.
However, his production in limited minutes has been extremely useful. He’s shooting 37.9% from long distance on the season, and his +8.8 net rating is the fourth highest on the team.
Looking forward to Orlando, Cook profiles as yet another weapon for Frank Vogel.
They say you can never have enough shooting, and if it comes with playoff experience, even better.