This will likely come due to injuries to the veteran duo of Draymond Green and Al Horford, but Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors may finally be realizing the need to make Quinton Post a regular part of the rotation moving forward.
Many Warriors fans have been calling for Post to play more in recent weeks, primarily due to his noticeably improved defense, rebounding and the team’s general lack of size that cost them Friday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Quinton Post may be ready to get a regular starting role
Post has appeared in every game for the Warriors so far this season, but has played less than 16 minutes on 11 of 19 occasions after averaging 16.3 minutes during an impressive rookie campaign.
Despite his lack of playing time, Post has notably led Golden State in plus-minus, ahead of veterans Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. This includes having a team-high +39 over the last three games, where he has averaged nearly 24 minutes, which shows that both his minutes and production are increasing and the Warriors are benefiting as a result.
The optimistic part of this is that Post isn’t even shooting the ball well enough to make an impact. He emerged as a late second-round pick last season due to his ability to stretch the floor from the center position, shooting a team-high 40.8% from 3-point range on the year.
This has dropped to just 33.3% in the first 19 games of this season, after which his average of points has fallen from 8.1 to 6.3. However, his improved defense more than makes up for it and is actually the primary reason Golden State may need to stick with him as a starter moving forward.
Offensive players are shooting just 44.9% from the field this season when protected by the post, including 50% from within 10 feet. That’s incredibly solid when you consider Green – arguably the best defender in the league over the last decade – allows 53.1% from within 10 feet when he’s the primary defender.
Post also ranks above Green for first on the team in defensive rating so far, while his defensive win share has doubled from his rookie season. His rebounding percentage has also increased from 10.6 to 12.2%, which is about 1.3 rebounds more per 36 minutes.
The 25-year-old started without Green and Horford on Monday night against the Utah Jazz, and although he shot just 1 of 5 from beyond the arc, he still proved effective with nine points, four rebounds and a career-high five assists. After holding Jazz star Lauri Markkanen to 2-of-7 shooting while guarding him, the Finnish forward is currently averaging nearly 30 points per game on the season.
The eye test and the numbers are undeniable – the post player should get 20 minutes per game, even if Green and Horford are available. This recent extension could be the first step toward doing that, although bigger tests await against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
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