‘You helped us get here...don’t ever forget that’: Looking back at an underrated piece of the Warriors 2018 title team

The Golden State Warriors’ 2018 postseason run was filled with iconic moments to look back on. Stephen Curry’s return from injury in the second round, Golden State’s thrilling Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, all capped off with a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Back to back NBA champions. 

Those triumphs coincided with a viral moment cultivated between player and coach as the confetti hit the floor following the Warriors’ sweep. It was a moment of recognition between Steve Kerr and Quinn Cook. 

“I’m so happy for you. You helped us get here, don’t ever forget that. You helped us win playoff games...you’ve earned your spot in the NBA. I’m so excited to coach you again next year. Love you.” 

As we wrap up our underrated series with spotlighting the Warriors 2018 title team, fans will remember how the sweep in the NBA Finals wasn’t a mirror of the regular season (and even postseason) that preceded it. Golden State was sluggish (to put in nicely) in the regular season, resulting in a second-seed finish in the Western Conference. The chemistry just wasn’t as in sync as it was the season prior. 

Golden State was on the brink of elimination in the Western Conference Finals, down 3-2 to the Rockets. Were it not for Klay Thompson’s heroic Game 6 performance (again) and a thrilling Game 7 victory afterward, this piece wouldn’t be coming to fruition. 

But what preceded all of that was a setback injury to the face of the franchise. On March 23, 2018, Curry suffered Grade 2 MCL sprain against the Atlanta Hawks that would knock him out six weeks. He wouldn’t suit up again until Game 2 of the second round in the playoffs. So what was Golden State’s remedy to fill such a glaring void at point guard? 

Enter Quinn Cook: the underrated piece of the Warriors 2018 title team. 

Cook signed a two-way contract with the Warriors in October of 2017, effectively spending time with Golden State and with their G-league affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors. Over the course of the regular season, Quinn Cook would get called to Golden State, helping play a role off the bench and setting a few career-highs along the way: 25 points against the Sacramento Kings on March 16th, 2018. Then another career-high 28 points the following night against the Phoenix Suns. 

But his greatest impact would be felt following a string of injuries to the Warriors roster, namely the aforementioned Grade 2 MCL sprain to Stephen Curry. Without their star point guard, it was next man up for everyone else on the roster. And Quinn Cook delivered. 

In the remaining ten regular-season games following Steph’s injury, Quinn Cook averaged 15.4 points per game and 32.4 minutes per game. Cook started all 10 games, and this stretch was inclusive of another new career-high, 30 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 29th. 

While the Warriors didn’t finish strong as a whole down the stretch, they were locked in as the second seed long before. But even then, with Curry out for an extended period of time, the end result could have been much, much worse. 

What if Golden State had no reliable option to fill in at the starting point guard position, imagine the hit that the team chemistry would have taken? If there wasn’t even a semblance of the belief that the Warriors could weather the impact of Curry’s injury, Golden State heads into their first-round matchup with the San Antonio Spurs as a different team. 

After all, if they didn’t have a reliable replacement to close the regular season, how could they fare with higher stakes once the playoffs began? 

Cook again played significant minutes in that first-round matchup, averaging 17 minutes a game in the series against the San Antonio Spurs. His minutes dropped once Steph made his eventual return in Game 2 of the second round, but Quinn Cook’s impact should be remembered for stepping in and helping greatly as Golden State closed the season. 

If Quinn Cook doesn’t perform as he did down the stretch, Steph’s absence due to injury would just continue to linger over the team, and on their quest to becoming back-to-back champions, that would have been a distraction they simply couldn’t afford. 

So when you remember the 2018 Finals sweep over the Cavaliers, when you remember Golden State becoming back-to-back champions, three titles in four years, officially crowned a “dynasty,” remember the hurdles they overcame along the way. And remember who helped them get there. 

For that 2018 Warriors title team, Quinn Cook helped them get there. And as Steve Kerr said, he earned his spot.