Quinten Post made the most of his return to the starting lineup against the L.A. Clippers on Tuesday night, with the second-year center now likely to retain his place as the Golden State Warriors prepare to face the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Thursday.
The interior presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo means Steve Kerr and the Warriors have little choice but to start Post again, allowing for a bigger lineup to try and combat the 2x MVP who is probable due to left knee soreness.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will force Warriors to start Quinten Post on Thursday
Post went 4-of-7 from 3-point range for a season-best 12 points in Tuesday's 98-79 victory over the Clippers, but it was arguably his defense that was more impressive as he went head-to-head with Ivica Zubac and was often forced to try and limit James Harden on the drive.
While it won't necessarily show up in the box score, Post also did well on occasions contesting Ja Morant at the rim in Monday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The back-to-back performances suggests Post could be improving what was seen as a weaker part of his game, having also recorded eight rebounds against the Clippers -- just the third time he's done that in his short career to date.
However, battling with Zubac and contesting the 6'2" Morant is far different to the sort of challenge that Post might get against Antetokounmpo on Thursday. While the 25-year-old will undoubtedly see time on the perimeter covering the 3-point threat that Myles Turner delivers from the center position, there will also be times when he's asked to try and protect the rim from the often unstoppable force that is Antetokounmpo.
Draymond Green might be the primary matchup for the Bucks superstar, but it will be up to the Warriors as a collective to limit Antetokounmpo who's currently averaging a blistering 36.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists through the first four games of the season.
The other reason to start Post is based on the incredible success that Golden State have found in his combination with Green to start the season. The team is +33.3 in net rating across the 54 minutes the two have shared the floor, ranking first among Warrior duos to have played at least 25 minutes together.
Needless to say that restricting Antetokounmpo will go along way to Golden State's chances of victory, with the franchise looking to build on a strong start and move to 5-1 open the regular season.