A raft of absences meant there was little to take from the Golden State Warriors loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday, but it did provide fans with a glimpse of the potential in 52nd overall pick Quinten Post.
The rookie center played seven second-half minutes, with some fans clamouring for much more given the Warriors were always likely to be outmatched by a more talented Pacers lineup on their home floor.
Should Quinten Post get some minutes in the Warriors rotation?
Post had six points in his limited playing time, showcasing some of the offensive skill that saw him average 17 points on 51.4% shooting from the floor and 43.1% from 3-point range during his final college year with the Boston College Eagles last season.
The seven-footer cashed his first NBA career 3-pointer, having found himself wide open from beyond the arc after an excellent pick-and-pop play with Dennis Schroder. His presence as a stretch five was notable in the second-half, with head coach Steve Kerr noting that it was a "nice look for us" given the way it opened up the lane for a struggling Golden State offense.
Now, even with the Warriors set to welcome back a host of key players in Toronto on Monday, some fans are calling for Post to see more minutes in the rotation to see what it could do for a Warrior offense that's ranked 26th in the league since December 1.
More Quentin Post moving forward please. I don’t care if the roster’s fully intact. Play the kid and let him learn from his mistakes instead of the ridiculous short leash that’s stunted the development of literally every young player during the Kerr era.pic.twitter.com/uWKf40TGms
— Cyrus Saatsaz (@SurfJournalist) January 11, 2025
How about we just play Quinten Post! Let’s ball!
— Trusthekid (@Trustheking) January 11, 2025
Quinten Post makes more sense as a Warriors big. Can space the floor, threat from 3s. Steph pick n fade - double team will be 3s every time. He just needs to develop his D.
— Dann (@dimalibotdann) January 11, 2025
Quinten Post Gravity 😭
— Aasin (@aasinitall) January 11, 2025
There are some legitimate reasons as to why Post may deserve more rotation opportunity, beyond just that of how his skillset could open up the offense. He's not your typical NBA rookie, with the 24-year-old having five years and over 120 games of Collegiete experience.
More importantly, Post has delivered in spades at the G League level recently. He's been in excellent form over his last four games at that level, averaging 23.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and nearly three assists on 60.7% shooting from the floor and 48.1% from 3-point range.
However, the fact he also played in the G League on Sunday against the Valley Suns also indicates that he's not in consideration for a rotation spot with Golden State whatsoever. While the idea of his size and shooting combination is intriguing in theory, he still has a fair way to go particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
The seven minutes on Friday against the Pacers were exciting, but it doesn't necessarily change things too much in terms of Post playing more over the second-half of this season. The more fascinating consequence were Kerr's comments and what that could mean for the Warriors trade plans, with the franchise having been strongly linked to a move for 2x All-Star Nikola Vuevic before the February 6 deadline.