Perhaps the biggest storyline of the past season and a half for the Golden State Warriors has been their search for a center.
With the skill-set that Stephen Curry provides, it's clear they need a rim-protecting and a floor-spacing presence at the five-spot to truly unlock the best version of this lineup. Their trade for Kristaps Porzingis was a gamble on his ability to fill this role.
In the lone game he's played so far for Golden State, he showed promising signs of being able to do so. But now he is ruled out with illness for at least the next two games.
The Warriors were obviously prepared for this contingency when they traded for Porzingis. He's played in just 18 games this season, and there were no realistic expectations that he would play night-in and night-out down the stretch.
Still, his absence is a disappointing development. In the meantime, the Warriors must use these games to evaluate their other options at center, and particularly Quinten Post. It will determine how they handle their rotation over the remainder of the season.
Quinten Post's season could be determined in Kristaps Porzingis' absence
Since he came into the league in the middle of last season, Post's development has been perplexing. He's clearly an impressive outside shooter for his height, and the defensive strides he's taken this season have been impressive.
But the offensive production just hasn't been there, and it's limiting his on-court opportunities. Through 56 games this season, he's averaging just 7.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while converting just 34.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Porzingis' arrival could leave Post out of the rotation entirely. In the lone game that Porzingis saw action, Post did not see the court at all.
With Porzingis absent against the Denver Nuggets, Post received over 20 minutes. But he did very little to prove he belongs back in the rotation. He went scoreless in the outing, although he did amass seven rebounds and four assists.
Post will likely get the same opportunities over the next couple of games as Golden State awaits Porzingis's return. They are more than capable of giving minutes to all three of their floor-spacing centers, assuming Green remains at the four-spot.
But Post must prove he's worth incorporating into the rotation on a night-to-night basis. If he can find his stride on offense over these next two games, perhaps he'll find some playing time down the stretch.
Either way, Golden State must use this time to determine how they want to approach the center position over the remainder of the season.