Golden State Warriors: Best candidates for each NBA award

Most Improved Player: Quinn Cook

Quinn Cook is a player who has flown under the radar of many. Cook is entering his fourth season in the NBA and up until last year, he hasn’t had much of a chance to shine.

The former Duke Blue Devil went undrafted heading into the summer of 2015. On Sept. 28, 2015, Cook signed a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was waived by the team before the season began.

For the next two years, Cook bounced around from the D League and multiple NBA teams before finding a home in Golden State.

The Warriors signed Cook to a two-way contract at the start of the 2017-18 NBA season. Acting as a role player, Cook fell deep to the back of the rotation and hardly played for the first half of the season.

However, after an injury to Stephen Curry opened the door, he took full advantage of the opportunity in front of him.

Cook began to see his minutes increase as his production went up. Towards the end of the season, he was becoming a consistent starter. During a seven-game stretch in March, Cook averaged 20.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

In addition to this, he shot an incredibly efficient 54.7 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from the 3-point line.

This seven-game burst from Cook was a glimpse of what we can expect from him. He is a player who has been fighting every day to claim a spot in the league.

If he continues to see an increase in playing time, there is no reason he can’t be in the conversation for the Most Improved Player award.