Quinten Post’s rookie year with the Golden State Warriors far exceeded expectations, having made a real impact from late January onwards after starting the season on a two-way contract and in the G League with Santa Cruz.
Post delivered just what the Warriors desperately needed in terms of elite shooting at the center position, but that failed to translate to the playoffs where he became increasingly unplayable as the postseason progressed.
The Warriors acknowledge they can’t enter next season with Quinten Post as their starting center
Post had some bright moments in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, including a 4-of-8 3-point shooting display in Game 2, followed by a career-high 12-rebound performance in a Game 3 victory.
Yet by the second-round series against the Timberwolves, Post’s playing time plummeted to spot minutes at best. He didn’t play more than 10 minutes in any of the five games, and made just two total threes across the course of the series.
After shooting a team-high 40.8% from 3-point range on 4.3 attempts per game during the regular season, Post’s shooting dropped to 31.3% on 2.7 attempts during the playoffs. His overall shooting from the field fell to 33.3%, emphasizing the reliance on his 3-point shooting and inability to utilize his seven-foot size to finish on the interior.
Post had a real opportunity to stamp himself as Golden State’s starting center of the future with strong playoff performances, but he didn’t take advantage of that opportunity and evidently needs a big offseason to work on his weaknesses.
There’s no shame in that — even discussing this as a rookie who was the 52nd overall pick is a testament to just how good he was. But the Warriors have also seemingly realized that they can’t enter next season with Post as their starting center, and are subsequently on the search for another option according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Warriors center rotation will be a fascinating element heading into next season. After Post had usurped Trayce Jackson-Davis over the second-half of the season, the latter made a stunning resurgence into starting the last three games of the playoffs.
So which young big man will Golden State prioritize early next season, and what happens with 3x championship veteran Kevon Looney as an unrestricted free agent in the summer? Either way, it appears none of the current trio are the answer for the Warriors as their starting center, and Steve Kerr has already admitted he doesn’t want Draymond Green to take on the arduous task as a small-ball five.
