Quinten Post may be the biggest initial loser from the Golden State Warriors acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis last week, but Wednesday night's loss to the San Antonio Spurs proves the second-year center should remain part of the rotation after the All-Star break.
Despite seeing his minutes diminish in recent games, Post remains an interesting part of the present and future, and should therefore be persisted with by sneakily utilizing more double-big lineups like we saw in the second-half against the Spurs.
Warriors should use more double-big lineups to keep Quinten Post active
Despite the fact Porzingis is yet to take the floor for Golden State, Post saw less than 16 combined minutes over the first three games following the trade. He also went scoreless in each of those, taking just three total shot attempts and becoming an afterthought in the rotation.
But as Porzingis prepares for a return after the All-Star break, Post provided a slight reminder of what he can provide and why the Warriors should persist with him for some rotation minutes over the remainder of the season.
The 25-year-old had 12 points, three rebounds and two assists in his 13 minutes against the Spurs, drilling three of his five attempts from 3-point range while also blowing by Victor Wembanyama from the perimeter for a layup.
There were some defensive concerns when tasked with guarding Wembanyama, but that's no real surprise given the stardom of the French phenom. Post still finished as a +1 in his minutes -- one of only two Golden State players (alongside De'Anthony Melton) to record a positive plus-minus.
Post played some minutes with Horford in a double-big unit, something that should continue to be experimented with after the All-Star break when Porzingis returns. The shooting of all three players permits it, and is generally the way the league is heading after Golden State redefined the game with their small-ball style for a decade.
There is a more existential reason why Post should continue to get minutes across the last 27 games though. Their primary three center options -- Horford, Porzingis and Draymond Green -- all have the opportunity to leave this offseason in free agency. Green and Horford have player options they could opt out of, and Porzingis will already be an unrestricted free agent.
What if two of those three were to depart, particularly Horford and Porzingis who don't have the same ties to the franchise as Green? Suddenly the need for Post will multiply ten-fold, while also leaving them scrambling for alternative options in free agency or on the trade market.
Post himself will be a restricted free agent after his second year in the league as a late second-round pick, but at least Golden State will have the ability to match an offer or orchestrate their own deal with the seven-footer beforehand.
The Warriors should absolutely be trying to win and remain competitive after the All-Star break, but they also have to hold a slight glance to next season. That, almost above all else, is why Post should remain in the rotation to some degree moving forward.