Get To Know Brian Cook
By Nick Adams | November 29, 2007
When the Magic found out that starting power forward Tony Battie would be lost for the entire 2007-2008 season with a shoulder injury, the front office knew they had to add another big man to help out the already thin front line.
On November 20th the Magic got their help acquiring power forward Brian Cook, along with teammate Maurice Evans, from the Los Angeles Lakes in exchange for Trevor Ariza.
Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by Los Angeles where he spent all of his previous four NBA seasons with averaging 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
At 6-9 250 pounds, Cook is not your prototypical post player because he is an excellent outside shooter who plays much of his offensive game around the perimeter. Cook is the type of player the Magic were looking for to fit Coach Van Gundy's style.
"We really didn't want a guy who couldn't play away from the basket," added Van Gundy. "With Brian we get another guy with some size plus another guy who can really shoot and he should be a guy we can use on a nightly basis."
Although he is more of a finesse big man, Cook gives Coach Van Gundy and the Magic another big body who can fight for rebounds and block shots.
The son of Joyce Cook and Norman Cook, who played basketball for Kansas and then the Boston Celtics (1979-80), Brian Joshua Cook was born in Lincoln, Illionis and attended the University of Illinois where he enjoyed an illustrious college career.
Cook played four seasons at the University of Illinois, beginning with the 1999-2000 season, and led the Fighting Illini in rebounding in each season. He was the co Big Ten Freshman of the year during his first year at Illinois.
As a senior in the 2002-2003 season, Cook led the Fighting Illini in scoring with 20.0 points per game, and was received the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball as the Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Conference.
Cook left Illinois as the school's third all-time leading scorer with 1748 total points, at an average of 13.2 points per game.
Cook's success at the collegiate level is something in which the Magic hope he will duplicate here in Orlando.
Orlandomagic.com was fortunate enough to talk with Cook before his Magic debut against the Charlotte Bobcats this past Friday.
Orlandomagic.com: What have the last couple of days been like for you coming to a new team?
Cook: It has been a fast couple of days trying to learn and adapt to everything. The plays are coming in pretty easy and I think I should be fully caught up in about a week but the I think the living adjustment is something that will take a little longer.
Orlandomagic.com: What do you think you can contribute to the Magic specifically?
Cook: I think I can help this team out tremendously. I shoot the basketball well and I hope to bring some toughness inside with rebounds and blocking shots on defense. I am a team guy too, and I love all my teammates.
Orlandomagic.com: What differences do you see between the Magic and the Lakers so far?
Cook: Already I can tell the Magic play a lot more team defense. The terminology I am going to have to get used but I think everything is more team oriented here. The offense is obviously different because I played in Phil Jackson's triangle offense in LA, but I like the freedom coach Van Gundy gives you on offense.
Orlandomagic.com: How different has the transition from going to a place like LA to Orlando?
Cook: I come from a small town in Illinois so everything is a change for me but going from LA to Orlando is somewhat similar. The weather is the same, but in Hollywood it's all about the drama and what story is going to break next. I am glad to be here though.
Orlandomagic.com: Where were you and what were you doing when you heard the news that you had been traded?
Cook: It came out of nowhere for us. I was getting ready to board the bus in Indiana and Coach Jackson brought me into his office and said he had good and bad news for me. He said the bad news was that I was going to be traded but the good news was that I was going to a great situation here in Orlando.
A good situation indeed as Cook looks to contribute to the league's best 14-3 Magic squad.
When the Magic found out that starting power forward Tony Battie would be lost for the entire 2007-2008 season with a shoulder injury, the front office knew they had to add another big man to help out the already thin front line.
On November 20th the Magic got their help acquiring power forward Brian Cook, along with teammate Maurice Evans, from the Los Angeles Lakes in exchange for Trevor Ariza.
Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by Los Angeles where he spent all of his previous four NBA seasons with averaging 6.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.
At 6-9 250 pounds, Cook is not your prototypical post player because he is an excellent outside shooter who plays much of his offensive game around the perimeter. Cook is the type of player the Magic were looking for to fit Coach Van Gundy's style.
"We really didn't want a guy who couldn't play away from the basket," added Van Gundy. "With Brian we get another guy with some size plus another guy who can really shoot and he should be a guy we can use on a nightly basis."
Although he is more of a finesse big man, Cook gives Coach Van Gundy and the Magic another big body who can fight for rebounds and block shots.
The son of Joyce Cook and Norman Cook, who played basketball for Kansas and then the Boston Celtics (1979-80), Brian Joshua Cook was born in Lincoln, Illionis and attended the University of Illinois where he enjoyed an illustrious college career.
Cook played four seasons at the University of Illinois, beginning with the 1999-2000 season, and led the Fighting Illini in rebounding in each season. He was the co Big Ten Freshman of the year during his first year at Illinois.
As a senior in the 2002-2003 season, Cook led the Fighting Illini in scoring with 20.0 points per game, and was received the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball as the Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Conference.
Cook left Illinois as the school's third all-time leading scorer with 1748 total points, at an average of 13.2 points per game.
Cook's success at the collegiate level is something in which the Magic hope he will duplicate here in Orlando.
Orlandomagic.com was fortunate enough to talk with Cook before his Magic debut against the Charlotte Bobcats this past Friday.
Orlandomagic.com: What have the last couple of days been like for you coming to a new team?
Cook: It has been a fast couple of days trying to learn and adapt to everything. The plays are coming in pretty easy and I think I should be fully caught up in about a week but the I think the living adjustment is something that will take a little longer.
Orlandomagic.com: What do you think you can contribute to the Magic specifically?
Cook: I think I can help this team out tremendously. I shoot the basketball well and I hope to bring some toughness inside with rebounds and blocking shots on defense. I am a team guy too, and I love all my teammates.
Orlandomagic.com: What differences do you see between the Magic and the Lakers so far?
Cook: Already I can tell the Magic play a lot more team defense. The terminology I am going to have to get used but I think everything is more team oriented here. The offense is obviously different because I played in Phil Jackson's triangle offense in LA, but I like the freedom coach Van Gundy gives you on offense.
Orlandomagic.com: How different has the transition from going to a place like LA to Orlando?
Cook: I come from a small town in Illinois so everything is a change for me but going from LA to Orlando is somewhat similar. The weather is the same, but in Hollywood it's all about the drama and what story is going to break next. I am glad to be here though.
Orlandomagic.com: Where were you and what were you doing when you heard the news that you had been traded?
Cook: It came out of nowhere for us. I was getting ready to board the bus in Indiana and Coach Jackson brought me into his office and said he had good and bad news for me. He said the bad news was that I was going to be traded but the good news was that I was going to a great situation here in Orlando.
A good situation indeed as Cook looks to contribute to the league's best 14-3 Magic squad.
