Some may view Al Horford's expected arrival at the Golden State Warriors as a lack of faith in Quinten Post, but that couldn't be further from the truth as the young center prepares for his second NBA season.
In fact, the Horford signing should grant Post a dream job during his sophomore campaign. The 25-year-old won't have to deal with the pressure of having to be a young starting center on a team looking to contend for another championship, yet he'll still see a significant role that includes a host of starting opportunities throughout the regular season.
Al Horford's arrival will grant Quinten Post a dream role
Not signing Horford or failing to attract a starting-quality center will throw Post further into the spotlight, something he may not be ready for alongside a group of veterans in Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Instead, Horford takes that spotlight and assumes the mantle as Golden State's No. 1 big man. However, at this stage of his decorated career, the 39-year-old isn't going to be logging heavy minutes and nor will he be appearing in every game.
ESPN's Anthony Slater reported on Monday that although retirement is still a possibility, most still expect Horford to sign with the Warriors once Jonathan Kuminga's future is ultimately settled either way.
"Horford is 39. He hasn't been playing both sides of back-to-backs. The Warriors can't rely on him to be an every-night 25-minute option. But the desire is to have him in the lineup when it matters and open up space for five-man combinations, which would especially benefit a downhill driver like (Jonathan) Kuminga," Slater wrote.
Post averaged just over 16 minutes during his 42-game rookie season, making 14 starts as Steve Kerr continued to experiment with the starting center spot before settling on Green as a small-ball option.
Even with Horford's assumed arrival, there's no reason that Post can't averaged more than 20 minutes and make 20-25 starts during the regular season. This offers him the perfect balance of not being whole-heartedly relied upon as a starter, but still with the space to develop and earn more playing time if he's good enough.
Combine this with Horford likely being the perfect mentor as a similar type of stretch big, and Post could really benefit rather than have his development stalled like so many recent Warrior young players.
It's also a big season given Post will be looking for a new contract next year, with the potential of earning north of $10 million per year if he builds on what was a surprisingly productive start to his NBA career.