Canton Charge weekly roundup: Quinn Cook stars once again

Another week, another set of games proving that Quinn Cook deserves a shot at the NBA. Let’s recap the last week of Canton Charge basketball.

What happened this week

Feb. 14: Canton Charge at Fort Wayne Mad Ants

In the Charge’s only official game this week, Canton took down the Fort Wayne Mad Ants 120-109. The win was the Charge’s third in the their last four games and took them to 2-0 against a team they are currently jockeying for playoff position against. That season series advantage could ultimately be key, as the Charge are a game behind the Mad Ants in the Central Division and in the overall Eastern Conference standings.

Quinn Cook led Canton with 32 points and 13 assists for his sixth double-double of the season. Eric Moreland and John Holland had 24 and 22 points respectively

Feb. 18: D-League All-Star game

At the D-League All-Star game, Cook was the game’s big star. Cook finished with 18 points and 12 assists to lead the Eastern Conference All-Stars to a 105-100 win. Oh, and he hit what was the game winner. No biggie.

As a bonus, he was also named the game’s MVP for his efforts.

Fellow All-Star Eric Moreland added 9 points and 9 rebounds.

Player of the Week

Once again, Cook is the Charge player of the week. He was great against Fort Wayne and engineered his team’s comeback in that game. During All-Star weekend in New Orleans, he not only hit the game winner, but had two other highlight plays that showcased what kind of player he is.

First, he found a cutting Moreland after a some nifty dribbling:

And he threw a nice lob on the break after getting a steal and pushing the ball the other way:

To cap it all off, NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas said “Bring him up! Bring him up! Call Quinn Cook up to the NBA!”. Perhaps this will prompt some team to give him a shot.

Play of the Week

Any of Cook’s plays from the All-Star game would be deserving honorees. But against the Mad Ants, Cook had another assist that stood out.

On the break, Cook gets the ball up the court and found a cutting Roosevelt Jones at just the right moment. It could have been a bit tighter, but Jones was able to catch the ball and finish with the left hand. What’s impressive about this, quite simply, was Cook seeing the opening. That’s NBA vision.

The Week Ahead

Feb. 22: Charge at 87ers

On Wednesday, the Charge hit the road take on the Delaware 87ers in their first game after the All-Star break. Delaware is home to a few interesting prospects - most notably ex-Louisville guard Russ Smith, Kentucky product and Wizards prospect Danuel House - but also NBA veteran Nate Robinson, who played in the U.S. for the first time since 2015 last week. Robinson looked rusty, but he’s still a name and one trying to make an NBA comeback. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

Feb. 24: 87ers at Charge

Canton returns home Friday to again face Delaware. This game does take place a day after the NBA’s trade deadline, so it is possible that some of their players could be called up on 10-day deals prior to this game. Standings wise, these two games matter standings wise because Canton enters the week a game ahead of Maine. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. in Canton.

Feb. 26: Charge vs. Maine Red Claws

Maine, the D-League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, features the likes of Ryan Kelly, Ohio State and Solon product Dallas Lauderdale and former Bucknell guard Cameron Ayers. This also matters for the D-League’s Eastern Conference playoff picture, as the Red Claws are two games up on the Charge as the week begins. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. in Canton.