Creek playing like an MVP candidate.
Cooks playing like a guy on a new team who has just recovered from injury.

Creek clearly ahead now but Cooks is 24 so could be same as Creek in a couple of years.

Cooks last season, when not coming off injury, averaged 12p and 6r across the German BBL and Eurocup, shooting 55% FG and 40% 3p. He's a better player that what he has shown so far.

"Creek by the length of the straight, it's on form now not on last season."

Isn't the discussion about their selection in July/August for the WC?

Creek by the length of the straight, it's on form now not on last season.

It makes sense to have number 12 and even number 11 as development type roles for players you think will be key pieces 4 years later. Let's face it in meaningful international games even then US cut the rotation down to 8 or 9 anyway.

Pretty sure someone said on here that Creek's ego was a primary factor in non-selection - it wasn't just about the basketball.

Was thinking similar watching 36ers vs Kings yesterday.

For sure important to build for the future and selected in National team for development, but even at time of WC Team selection Cooks over Creek didn't make sense. Motum as well surely a more logical selection for WC who could contribute.

Based on NBL form, after Creek and Motum, both D Johnson and B Newly I think should be selected over Cooks if you’re looking for strongest team. And doesn’t seem either were in consideration for WC.

Not against Cooks as a potential future Boomer, but his NBL form raises further questions for me about what happened with WC team selection.

"even at time of WC Team selection Cooks over Creek didn't make sense"

Didn't make sense because people didn't know anything about Cooks? Almost nobody knew about Cooks' game.

A handful of WC selections didn't make sense.

rjd I feel Cooks (and all players) playing form was available in the public realm and continues to be now. What was so strange to me is that if you base selection on form back then, you don't select a number of players in the original list of 12 over Creek and/or Motum.

Current NBL player form highlights it again as a head scratcher. There seemed to be some hidden WC training camp information that went into it.

"Yep. Tats over team for poor Mitchy"

Nail hit on head. The initial (non) selection had zero to do with basketball ability. Probably a good wakeup call for him and when he mended his fences with the powers that be he worked into the rotation

I would have thought watching Cooks' length and versatility defensively and his ability on the boards, combined with the fact he was a 40% three-point shooter last season, makes it obvious why he was attractive to the selectors.

In limited vision of Cooks, he seems to be a more athletic version of Nick Kay, have liked his game so far. Would be good to see what he could do as the number 1 or 2 option, but he's so far back on the Kings pecking order it's tough to see.

Cooks is 2nd* in the league in per 36 +/-. Although it obviously helps being on a stacked Kings team, usually playing with a second unit led by Bruce, who happens to be 1st in that measure.

(* min 100 minutes played)

As for his selection on the Boomers team, I recall Lemanis citing his versatility, including his wide defensive versatility.

Creek.

Cooks doesn't even look a threat on offence to the point he doesn't even look at the rim and teams are hiding weak defenders on him.