Dean: Thunder Should Give the Cook Time to Heat Up

Dean explains why Sam Presti's move to play Daequan Cook was a smart one.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:12 pm

By: News On 6

Dean: Thunder Should Give the Cook Time to Heat Up

Originally Published: Feb 16, 2011 9:1 PM CDT

Dean Blevins
Oklahoma Sports Sports Director - Oklahoma City

Daequan Cook showed why Sam Presti added him to the roster in Tuesday’s romp over the Kings. Cook hit 5-of-7 threes and led the team in scoring with twenty points playing only half the game (20:41). Daequan was Cookin’ when he beat the shot clock and hit a step back three on the right wing from 28-feet.

The observant sellout crowd ate it up because they know that’s why he was picked up in the first place. And, because they know the Thunder is inept (27th out of 30 teams) with the 3-ball and that either Cook or Harden must become a legit three-point threat if the Thunder is going anywhere in the playoffs.

Cook just looks like a shooter. Can catch-and-shoot; score off-the-dribble; elevate above long-distance defenders; has a quick/clean release; gets every shot on-line, and looks like he’ll make every shot when it’s halfway to the rim.

Cook is not just a shooter (although he’s not done well enough to earn meaningful minutes on a team desperately looking for 3-ballers), he is a good athlete who plays defense. Cook finished with five rebounds and no turnovers, a good combination.

Cook obviously has not consistently filled it up in practice or he’d be getting fifteen minutes a night. But Coach Blitz here says Scott Brooks should roll the dice and give the former Miami Heater 15-20 minutes a night. Live through the 0-fers a game or two if you must, because if you do you’re gonna get Cook repeating what he did to the Sac Queens.

Forget his stats. Can’t read anything into them since he’s not played enough to give us a true indication of what he can do: played in only 15 of 50 games; 4.2 pts; only .356 behind the arc. Again, doesn’t mean much to me.

You get better play from Durant, smarter play from Ibaka, meaner play from Nenad, consistent play from Westbrook, less minutes and more health from Thabo, contract-year play from Green, the same ol’ same ol’ from Collison and Maynor, more fire-in-the-belly from Harden and toss in a shoot-till-you-make Cook, and look out.

-Overtime: Gotta believe the bosses are disappointed in their No. 1 draft pick who looked a lot bigger at Kansas than he does in OKC. Listed at 6-11 by our friend Billy Self, I’m told Cole Aldrich was 6-9 by the time he took off his sneakers in his physical. Exactly the same as KD. But not nearly as mature as the 22 year-old All-Star. Smaller, slower, more immature than expected. Hope I’m wrong, but it appears a probable bust to me. Or, is he someone you toss in with a couple of other good players to bring in a difference maker before the trade deadline?