It might have come through necessity given injuries to the veteran duo of Draymond Green and Al Horford, but Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors might finally be realizing the need for Quinten Post to be a regular part of the rotation going forward.
Many Warrior fans have been calling for Post to play more over recent weeks, largely stemming from his notably improved defense, rebounding and the team's general lack of size that plagued them in Friday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Quinten Post might be ready to grab a regular starting role
Post has appeared in every game for the Warriors so far this season, but he's played less than 16 minutes on 11 out of 19 occasions after averaging 16.3 minutes during an impressive rookie campaign.
Despite his lack of playing time, Post has remarkably led Golden State in plus-minus so far ahead of veterans Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. That's including being a team-high +39 over the last three games where he's averaged nearly 24 minutes, suggesting both his minutes and production are on the up and that the Warriors are benefiting as a result.
The optimistic part of this is Post isn't even shooting the ball well in order to make an impact. He emerged as a late second-round pick last season due to his ability to stretch the floor from the center position, having shot a team-high 40.8% from 3-point range on the year.
That's dipped to just 33.3% through the first 19 games of this season, subsequently dropping his points average from 8.1 to 6.3. However, his improved defense is more than making up for it and is actually the primary reason why Golden State may need to stick with him as a starter moving forward.
Offensive players are shooting just 44.9% when guarded by Post this season, including 50% from within 10 feet. That's incredibly solid when you consider Green -- arguably the best defender in the league over the last decade -- allows 53.1% from within 10 feet when he's the primary defender.
Post is also above Green in ranking first on the team in defensive rating so far, while his defensive win shares have over doubled from his rookie season. His rebounding percentage is also up from 10.6 to 12.2%, culminating in about 1.3 rebounds more per 36 minutes.
The 25-year-old got the start without Green and Horford on Monday night against the Utah Jazz, and while he shot only 1-of-5 from beyond the arc, he still proved effective with nine points, four rebounds and a career-high five assists. Post also kept Jazz star Lauri Markkanen to 2-of-7 shooting when guarding him, with the Finnish forward currently averaging nearly 30 points per game on the season.
The eye test and the numbers are undeniable -- Post has to be a 20-minute per game player even when Green and Horford are available. This recent stretch could be the first step in making that happen, though bigger tests await against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.