One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ more underrated moves of free agency was the acquisition of Quinn Cook. Here are the five biggest reasons why he could have the best season of his career playing for the glamour franchise in Los Angeles.
With the trade of the heralded former No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball this offseason, one of the Los Angeles Lakers biggest question marks heading into this season is who will step up at the point guard position.
The main candidates are the 13-year veteran and former All-Star Rajon Rondo, the former defensive stalwart Avery Bradley, the fan-favorite Alex Caruso, and Quinn Cook, whose signing flew relatively under the radar this summer.
When asking who the Lakers starter at the position should be right now, players like Anthony Davis and LeBron James would probably say Rondo, and the fans would no doubt lean towards the social media sensation Caruso. Head coach Frank Vogel, on the other hand, might want to go with Bradley to help solidify the defense.
However, the best answer to the question and the best fit alongside the two Lakers stars could be Quinn Cook, who has the attributes necessary to thrive on a team lead by either James and Davis. The best part about his game that meshes well with those two, is that he is probably the best off-ball and catch and shoot threat of the four players competing for playing time.
Also, with DeMarcus Cousins out for presumably the entire season, Cook and Danny Green are the only players on the roster who played deep into the postseason last year with their teams meeting in the finals. That experience could prove to be vital for Cook because he has already played recently in the big moments that this squad envisions themselves playing in this season.
Although he did not get very many minutes in his Warriors career, he took his opportunity and ran with it this postseason and he consistently made big 3-point shots when Golden State needed them. If he can play the exact same role for the Lakers this season, it will be hard to keep him out of line up.
As an undrafted player out of Duke, the road for Cook to play for his childhood favorite team in Los Angeles has not been an easy one. However, it seems like it is one that he is destined for, and it could lead him to have the best season of his career playing in the purple and gold.