SG Daequan Cook (Ironi Hai Motors Nes-Ziona - Israel)

[osugrad21]

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Miami Heat's Cook is determined to excel

At a time when Daequan Cook had hoped to lock down his role in the rotation with a strong summer performance, he has instead been dealing with a shoulder injury that knocked him out of competition.

BY MICHAEL WALLACE

[email protected]

As his teammates broke the huddle and walked to the locker room after yet another training camp practice, Heat guard Daequan Cook jogged to the ball rack, motioned to an assistant coach and headed to the far end of the court.
Cook had just pushed himself through a grueling, two-hour practice alongside the rest of the Heat's players. But in many ways, the toughest part of his grind was only beginning.
''All I can do is forget about everything else and just focus on what I can control,'' Cook said. ``This year is about me taking it upon myself to do whatever I have to do to get on the court and stay out there.''
Cook is taking those words literally these days. Since the Heat opened camp last weekend, it has been an almost endless -- and relentless -- cycle of basketball for Cook.
He has been one of the first players on the court for morning practice and usually is one of the last to leave after completing an extra shooting workout. Then the pattern continues before and after evening practice.
If this seems to be the act of a desperate man, well, it is. Only a year after Miami acquired him in the first round of the draft, Cook already is fighting for his NBA career -- at least the Heat portion of it.
Cont...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Daequan on the move?

The Miami Herald published a story yesterday on the amount of work Daequan Cook is putting in early in training camp to make up for the time he lost rehabilitating a shoulder injury this summer.
Included was this ominous sentence: ?Only a year after Miami acquired him in the first round of the draft, Cook already is fighting for his NBA career -- at least the Heat portion of it.?
Cook could be gone as soon as today.
The Heat is preparing to sign point guard Shaun Livingston as soon as he passes a physical. Livingston?s contract will put the Heat over the salary cap, not to mention the training camp limit of 20 players. Reports in South Florida newspapers speculate that either Cook or Dorell Wright is headed out of town.

Link

The HEAT are also expected to try and move a guaranteed contract in trade to create some breathing room under the luxury tax threshold. The HEAT have until the NBA trade deadline before they have to deal with this issue so there is plenty of time. It's expected that Daequan Cook may be the odd man out, although printed reports have suggested that recently re-signed Dorrell Wright could return more value to Miami in terms of future draft picks. After signing a new contract this summer he cannot be traded for 90 days, which is mid-December. Daequan is scheduled to earn $1.27 million this year and a team option next year worth $1.36 million. Dorrell Wright recently signed a two-year deal paying him roughly $2.61 million this season and $2.88 million next season.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Guard Daequan Cook?s defense, a huge issue last season, seems vastly improved. At least it was improved for Sunday?s pre-season game. Cook?s offense (4-for-15 shooting) wasn?t bad despite the numbers. Miami needs a true backup for Wade at shooting guard and Cook, a first-round pick last year, is a natural fit as Miami?s only genuine shooting guard on the bench.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Miami Heat's James Jones out three months

By Ira Winderman | South Florida Sun-Sentinel 1:00 PM EDT, October 16, 2008 MIAMI - The Miami Heat announced today that 3-point specialist James Jones is expected to be sidelined for three months after rupturing a tendon in his right wrist.

Spoelstra said the Heat now would turn to second-year guard Daequan Cook for 3-point shooting. Cook, however, is just 2 of 14 on 3-pointers this preseason.

"We do have some depth fortunately at that position," Spoelstra said, citing the possibilities of additional time for defensive-minded Yakhouba Diawara and swingman Dorell Wright, who is being brought along slowly from last season's knee surgery.

Cook, who is coming off offseason shoulder surgery, said he believes he can step in and provide the shooting needed to clear the lane for the likes of Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley.

"That's one of the reasons I'm on this team," Cook said.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

James Jones' injury gives Daequan Cook shot at more minutes

By Ira Winderman | South Florida Sun-Sentinel October 18, 2008 MIAMI -

Daequan Cook's time has come. And in many ways for the second-year Heat guard, the pressure's on.

With James Jones out three months with a torn tendon in his right wrist, Cook's opportunity for redemption is at hand, starting with tonight's exhibition against the Magic in Jacksonville.

An instant flash last season, when he was shooting a respectable 44.6 percent through his first 18 NBA appearances, the No. 21 pick in the 2007 draft out of Ohio State plummeted to 38.1 percent by season's end.

Continued.............

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

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Magic keep Heat winless

By CHRIS PERKINS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 18, 2008

JACKSONVILLE ? The Heat's winless exhibition season continued Saturday as it lost to Orlando 100-92 at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. But Miami gave coach Erik Spolestra something to think about in the form of two lineups it can use to create mismatches.

Guard Daequan Cook was 1-for-2 on three-pointers in 13 minutes and has made just 3 of 16 (18.8) tries in the exhibtion season.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

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Cook, who had his best pre-season game against San Antonio (17 points on 6-for-12 shooting, including going 4-for-6 on three-pointers), has a bruised left shoulder. A left shoulder injury kept Cook from playing in summer-league games. Spoelstra said Cook sustained his bruise against the Spurs.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Miami Heat exercise Cook's contract option



Wednesday, October 29, 2008

MIAMI, Fla. ? The NBA's Miami Heat exercised the third option on the contract of former Dunbar High School and Ohio State standout Daequan Cook on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
The move means that Cook, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, is guaranteed $1.4 million next season.
Cook averaged 7.3 points and set Heat rookie records for 3-point field goals and attempts last season.

 

[LitlBuck]

That is excellent news that Miami picked up his contract option. I guess $1.3 mil was thinking about when he left Ohio State. Certainly can't begrudge him that.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Cook scores 13 in Heat's loss to Knicks
Jamal Crawford scored 29 points, Zach Randolph added 20, and the host New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 120-115 on Wednesday night.
Dayton native Daequan Cook helped make it a close finish, making three 3-pointers and finishing with 13 points for the Heat in 20 minutes of action.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

The Miami Heat finally bit the bullet and picked up the third-year option on former Ohio State player Daequan Cook's contract just before the deadline this week, guaranteeing he will make close to $1.4 million next season. Had the Heat not extended the contract, Cook would have been become a free agent next summer.
The decision seems to indicate a fair amount of uncertainty about Cook. He had an inconsistent rookie season and entered training camp fighting for a role in what is expected to be a nine-man rotation. His sporadic play continued through the exhibition season, when he averaged 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in less than 22 minutes per game as Dwyane Wade's backup.
Cook was drafted by Philadelphia with the No. 22 overall pick in 2007 and was acquired by the Heat in a draft-night trade to be the team's long-range shooter. He set team rookie records for three-pointers made and attempted last season but shot only 34 percent from the field and 30 percent on three-pointers during training camp.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Defense boosts playing time for Miami Heat's Daequan Cook





BY MICHAEL WALLACE

[email protected]

Heat guard Daequan Cook has seen an increase in playing time because of his improved play on defense, not just because he regained his shooting touch.
Cook, who had been mired in a preseason slump, has emerged as the first guard off the bench.
Cook, who scored 13 points in each of the first two games of the season, has impressed on defense, where he had struggled with poor footwork and bad technique.
''For me, it was being focused, being patient and realizing what's going to get me out on the floor is defense,'' said Cook, who is averaging 25 minutes a game. ``On the defensive end you get looked at more.''

Continued...........

 

[SEREbuckeye]

That is excellent news that Miami picked up his contract option. I guess $1.3 mil was thinking about when he left Ohio State. Certainly can't begrudge him that.

But how fast will he run through that $1.3 mil in Miami? I still believe had he stayed at OSU andother year and learned more about the game, he would be staring at a much larger contract and better words after his name in the press.


Anywho, show em what ya got Cook.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Cook's defense earning guard more minutes

By Michael Cunningham | South Florida Sun-Sentinel Miami - There were times last season when Heat guard Daequan Cook went on scoring streaks only to find himself stuck on the bench for games at a time by coach Pat Riley.

It's got to be about more than scoring, Riley said of the rookie, and coach Erik Spoelstra told Cook much of the same coming into this season.

It seems Cook finally has gotten the message and, as a result, has earned a spot in Spoelstra's rotation.

"It was his defensive energy and activity," Spoelstra said. "For a second-year player he's come a long way. ... Now I consider him a guy who knows [the defensive system] as well as anybody."
Continued.................

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Still Cook-ing: Before the game, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra reinforced to Daequan Cook that his playing time has been a result of more than his scoring. The emerging second-year guard responded with five assists, four rebounds and stout defense.

Link

Daequan Cook hit just 4-of-12 shots Wednesday, but two of them were 3-pointers in a loss to the Raptors. Cook had 10 points and two rebounds, and is in now in the Top 10 in 3-pointers made in the league at close to 2.5 per game.