As the Golden State Warriors fell 114-105 to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night, the team's defense seemed to struggle for the first time in weeks.
The Warriors allowed 62 first-half points to a severely depleted Nuggets offense who were missing 3x MVP Nikola Jokic, star guard Jamal Murray and third key starter in Christian Braun.
Russell Westbrook posted 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists, while Golden State got burned by the 3-point shooting of Aaron Gordon who made four threes and scored 38 points in the game.
Yet among the numerous concerns for Golden State during the game, one might have gone somewhat unnoticed. Quinten Post, the 24-year-old rookie from the Netherlands, only played eight minutes -- his lowest total in over a month.
Quinten Post still needs to earn the trust of his head coach
Post has been a revelation for the Warriors this season, averaging 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists while quikcly developing into one of the best shooter among big men in the league.
His 3-point shooting has helped Golden State to space its offense more effectively, and his 41.2% shooting clip from beyond the arc has been a major factor in the revitilization of the team's playoff hopes.
With second-year center Trayce Jackson-Davis seeing diminished opportunities as a result of his size and physicality, Post has largely been guaranteed at least 20 minutes a game which has included entering the starting lineup for stretches to relieve Draymond Green of the demands of the center position.
Yet the Warriors went small against the New York Knicks, opting to start Gui Santos over Post. Now they have now sidelined Post for a second-straight game. Why? The simple answer lies in his lack of defensive versatility. Among all players currently on Golden State, Post has the second-worst defensive rating -- a lousy 112.3 that surpasses only Stephen Curry.
Although Post has shown some improvement in this area over recent games, his size does not aid him in protecting the rim like it should at this point, and his relative lack of mobility hinders his capacity for staying in front of shiftier players.
While Post has been a vital part of the Warriors' mid-season ascension, it has become clear that head coach Steve Kerr still has a short leash on the rookie. With the dominance of Aaron Gordon, it quickly became clear on Monday night that Post would not have been an effective solution to Golden State's defensive woes.
As the Warriors approaches the playoffs, the premium on staunch defense will only increase and could subsequently lead to a volatile role for Post.