The Cavaliers have been on a well-publicized, ongoing quest for a veteran back-up point guard for Kyrie Irving. The Cavs left it late to find their man, but waited for exactly the right fit as Deron Williams has joined the team.
Despite the need for a solid vet to give the Cavs another avenue to repeating, another pair of point guards have been making some noise in the D-League, Cavs rookie Kay Felder and Canton Charge’s Quinn Cook. Both were excellent college players for Oakland and Duke respectively, and the pair has been putting in outstanding performances for Cavs’ D-League affiliate also.
Understandably, seeing consistent minutes proves difficult in a championship team, and Felder has found his minutes in the NBA either in junk time or very limited if the Cavs are shorthanded on any given night. It’s important for his development that he continues to play, and his performances for the Charge have confirmed the upside the Cavs believed in when they bought the Atlanta Hawks pick in last season’s draft.
As for Cook, he was fighting for a Cavs roster spot at the start of last season, and has continued to plug away in the D-League. After surprisingly going undrafted, Cook has been laser focused on building a reputation and possibly seeing some NBA minutes for the wine and gold in the future. After impressing this past off-season in the summer league, the Cavs are monitoring Cook also.
Cook is averaging 26.1 points per game, four rebounds and 6.7 assists for the Charge as their main man. When Felder has played, he is averaging an incredible 30.7 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Both have been impressive all season long, and Felder was turning heads just a few days ago as he dropped 30 for the Charge against the Red Claws.
Cook, 23, was named a D-league all-star last season, and his hard work continues to pay off. Two months ago, he poured in a Charge franchise-record 49 points and 11 assists in a win against Texas Legends.
Patience and consistent playing time will be the key for these two young guns development. The Cavs may have bolstered their stocks recently in the point guard department, but it is great to have two rising stars as a third and fourth option. The Charge will also likely have Cavs shooting guard Jordan McRae join them soon, as he is in search of playing time also.
