Coming out as the 52nd overall pick in last year's NBA Draft, there wasn't a whole lot known about Golden State Warriors rookie Quinten Post.
Unlike lottery and first-round picks who are routinely compared to a range of current and former NBA players, late second-round selections like Post don't draw anywhere near the same level of analysis. Therefore the comparisons for Post were limited going into his rookie year, yet one of the rare ones is already starting to look like an apt evaluation of what the seven-footer could be for years to come.
Quinten Post is developing into a Brook Lopez-type for the Warriors
The pre-draft profile on NBA.com stated that "because of his limited mobility but three-and-D upside, Post has shades of current Brook Lopez or Al Horford to his game." You can already see why the comparison to Lopez was made, with Post quickly becoming one of the league's best shooting big men in his rookie season.
After taking a total of 31 3-point attempts over his first eight years in the league, Lopez has drastically changed his game to the point of earning the nickname 'Splash Mountain'. The now 36-year-old has averaged at least four 3-point attempts per game in each of his last nine seasons, with Lopez shooting a solid 35.1% from beyond the arc in his career.
Despite still having played only 29 career NBA games to date, Post may already be a better 3-point shooter than Lopez. The 24-year-old is shooting 41.5% on 4.1 attempts, with Post averaging nearly nine 3-point attempts per 36 minutes compared to Lopez's 5.5.
Yet it's the defensive end where Post still has a way to go in regard to the comparison. Lopez has averaged at least 2.2 blocks per game in four of the past seven years, having twice earned Defensive Player of the Year votes which includes finishing second in 2023.
Post has entered the NBA without anywhere near the same defensive ability, but has recently shown some significant improvement which suggests he could become a similar-style rim protector. Despite averaging less than 21 minutes in the less nine games, Post has recorded 11 blocks in this span as he shows more confidence on the defensive side of the ball.
The limited mobility of both Post and Lopez leaves them exploitable when out on the perimeter, but most seven-footers face the same issue anyway. It makes for an interesting matchup when the Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks meet on Tuesday at Chase Center, with Post set for an excellent career if he can reach anywhere near Lopez's level.