Quinten Post may have delivered some underwhelming performances in his first playoff campaign, but the Golden State Warriors are left with no doubt that they have a long-term player after what was otherwise an impressive rookie season.
The center position has been a source of discussion for years, with that only amplified this offseason given the departure of 10-year veteran Kevon Looney and the growing speculation that the Warriors will eventually sign Al Horford in free agency.
The Warriors believe they have a long-term starter in Quinten Post
Horford might be a valuable addition to Golden State, but he's also going to be a short-term solution as the franchise builds around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. Next season is likely to be the last for the 39-year-old, with retirement this offseason still a potential option until the point that he actually signs somewhere.
The Warriors clearly have a longer-term vision in mind for Post, with a front office executive from the franchise recently telling Spotrac's Keith Smith that they believe the 25-year-old can be a starting center in the league.
"We’re really happy with Quinten. We think he can be a starting five in the league. He needs to improve on defense, but that will come. The shot, the passing and the interior scoring are all there. He also fit right in and wasn’t afraid to go at it with our long-term guys. That confidence was huge for him," the front office executive said.
Post made 14 starts in his 42 regular season games during his rookie year, then added another two during the playoffs. If the Horford signing was to fall apart by any means, the seven-footer could be thrust into being the starting five by opening night next season.
But adding Horford and actually holding Post back from that role could be best in the long-term, allowing him to learn off a veteran stretch five while not having to place too many expectations on a 52nd overall pick so early into his career.
This quote from within the organization proves Golden State have high hopes for Post, and that bringing in Horford will be in addition to him rather than as a straight replacement. The Dutchman can still expect to play more than the 16.3 minutes he averaged in his rookie year, and get his fair share of starts as Horford rests during the regular season.
The hope is that Post does develop into the starting five that the Warriors are envisaging, and that he's ready to take the role permanently in 2026-27 when Horford presumably settles into retirement.