Elgin Cook may seem underwhelming to various NBA scouts, but his game and his Pac-12 Tourney MVP performance for the high-powered Oregon Ducks rate him as a sleeper pick if GarPax give him a look with the 48th overall pick.
GarPax haven’t had any issues with taking players who spent more than a year in college and have excelled over the course of their NCAA careers as hard-working stars. Bobby Portis (two years at Arkansas) and Doug McDermott (four years at Creighton) were their last two first-rounders.
For this profile, we’ll look at a potential second-round sleeper who the Bulls might like because of his pedigree and his game history. 23-year-old Elgin Cook, a 6’6″ wing who averaged 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for an elite Oregon team last year and was the first player in the Ducks’ history to play in the NCAA Tournament three straight years.
His pedigree goes back to his father, four-time All-Star and former San Antonio Spurs guard Alvin Robertson. Elements of Cook’s game show glimpses of his dad’s defensive skills and work ethic.
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The Chicago Bulls just might need one extra wing defender and Cook could potentially fill the role.
Cook scored 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in Oregon’s Pac-12 Tournament title run and won the tournament’s MVP award.
Cook went head-to-head with potential No. 1 pick Brandon Ingram from Duke in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and his Ducks knocked the Blue Devils out to advance to the Elite Eight against Oklahoma.
Cook scored 24 points and dished out four assists against Oklahoma, but they forgot to swarm Buddy Hield and the Sooners on the perimeter and found themselves out of the Big Dance.
Afterwards, the explosive Cook was named to the NCAA Tournament all-West Region team. Cook proved he can play with the best of the best with his performances against Duke and Oklahoma. The Chicago Bulls could take Cook with their second-round pick and snag a potential diamond in the rough.
Cook’s game runs deeper than his statistics. He’s a reliable scorer and gets to the basket when he needs to. The 210-pounder is a fast-twitch leaper and shot-blocker who is strong for his frame and size. He doesn’t shy from contact when he goes at the rim and can shoot the three during efficiently.
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He can be a valued perimeter defender for a pick-and-roll blitz defense and can stop long range snipers from getting free looks with his impressive 6’10” wingspan. In the open court, Cook runs out to the rim like a gazelle, but is unselfish and looks for wings cutting to the hoop.
Cook has mentioned in an interview when he was still an underclassman playing for Oregon that “the biggest thing he learned from his father was that he needs to play hard every second he’s on the court.”
Over the course of his college career, playing hard and being a reliable rim-runner has brought attention to Cook, who Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports ranked as one of the top-5 sleepers in the draft combine.
Unfortunately, Cook broke a finger just before the combine measurements started. His stats don’t show how good he is when he plays, but when he plays and wins big games, he shows enough to make you a believer.
The Bulls already have one player like Cook in Justin Holiday; another hard-working wing player whom Hoiberg can count on to defend well while knocking down shots or attacking the hoop on run-outs.
Cook can hone his game in the Windy City Bulls if playing time gets scarce, but having a fast-paced attacking basketball system should always require fresh legs on the court and what’s better than having a wing like Elgin Cook on the team, whether it’s from the 48th pick or via a Summer League invite.
Elgin Cook is my favorite second round prospect and it is rather unfortunate that a broken finger prior to the draft combine has him on the sidelines while teams are trying out prospects for their roster.