It was believed to be a three-man race when it came to the Warriors potentially shaking some things up with their roster before the season. Reports surfaced Monday that the team would take a closer look at three free-agent point guards. Quinn Cook, Isaiah Thomas, and Avery Bradley have all been scheduled to workout for the Dubs this week. That was true until the reports of Cook signing with the Portland Trail Blazers hit.
Free agent guard Quinn Cook is signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 21, 2021
Let's get into the three reasons the Warriors could have used Quinn Cook if they signed him before Portland.
Championship experience
If the Warriors chose to sign Cook, this wouldn't have been his first stint. He won a ring with the franchise in 2018. He was a key rotation guy who averaged 9.5 points, shooting 48 percent from the field and 44 percent from deep. His championship resume didn't end there.
Cook later moved to Los Angeles to join LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. He won a championship with them in 2020 inside the NBA bubble in Orlando. He averaged 5.1 points shooting 42 percent and 36 percent from three in 11.5 minutes of playing time. Cook's role in this championship was significantly smaller than his first, but winning it all seems to follow him.
Cooks isn't new to this
Simply because a role is looked at as minor doesn't mean it isn't an important role. Whoever the backup point guard is will have the challenging task of impacting games immediately. Cook has shown he can handle these job duties at the highest level. It doesn't matter if he plays big minutes or very little.
During the Warriors championship run, Cook recorded a per of 13.3, which is just under the league average of 15. In the Lakers' run to a ring, he managed a per of 18.6 even though he played significantly fewer minutes. If Cook can still efficiently operate in limited playing time, he might have been a great fit for the Warriors.
Getting the band back together
The Warriors already brought back their 2015 NBA Finals MVP, Andre Iguodala. Maybe adding Cook from their 2018 championship team could've helped get back some of the past championship vibes. Culture is critical to championship organizations. Cook was a part of that championship culture during the dominant times of Warriors basketball.
His past relationships with other players like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Iguodala might have given the younger Dubs more of a glimpse at how they should carry themselves in the future. This year is about winning now, but building for the future simultaneously is always an added positive.
Only time will tell what the Warriors will do with the final roster. They will have to waive a player to sign one of the free agents visiting this week. So the unsigned prospects will need to be very impressive if they want to take a spot. Unfortunately, a reunion with Cook is not possible, but these are three reasons the team could have used him.
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