Quinten Post

Quinten Post (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)

Going into the summer, Golden State Warriors big man Quinten Post didn’t have to make a checklist of what to get better at. The NBA Playoffs did it for him, starting with a Houston Rockets series that tested him from the jump.

“That was a great experience for me,” Post told RG at Saturday morning’s shootaround in Cleveland. “Obviously, they were a very physical team, so for me to be exposed to that definitely made me realize that I have a long way to go. I got in the weight room a lot this offseason, working on my defense. especially, working on not fouling.”

With 22 appearances combined between his playing days and leading on the sidelines, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is as familiar with the postseason environment as anybody in the NBA. There’s an elevated level of athleticism and physicality, “given that everybody is fresh and on edge.” 

He knows that if opponents find a weakness, they will exploit it individually and team-wide. It’s like a chess match with tactical moves on a game-to-game basis, and their foes focused this past spring on taking a rookie Post out of his comfort zone.

“Houston put wings on him, Minnesota put wings on him when he was out there instead of a big,” Kerr said to RG in Saturday’s pregame press conference.
”And that changes the defensive equation and what the game looks like and what it requires from Quentin in that spot.”

Making Changes

In three of those games, Post hacked Houston’s players at least four times. He wasn’t afraid to let the perimeter shots fly or get close-range looks, but there was a definite adjustment period. Following Game 6 in the first round, the most he played was 10 minutes in a second-round elimination game that Golden State lost in Minneapolis.

So, Post took his shortcomings to heart and busted his tail over the offseason. He’s been rewarded for it with more playing time as the season has progressed. Sure, the Warriors are banged up and have had their hand forced a bit; that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have played a significant role in the first place.

Where he is now is miles from where he was at this point a year ago – literally and developmentally. A late 2024 second-round pick, Post was only a month into his G League career with the Santa Cruz Warriors. It wasn’t until after the Christmas holiday that he made his Golden State debut, and he was thrust into the rotation in late January because the team dealt with injuries to Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

“I came in halfway through the season,” Post told RG of his rookie year. “It was very easy to have a lot of energy. Obviously, I was trying to prove my worth. Now, we’re [26] games in, and it’s really a grind. But it’s been a lot of fun so far. and just the expectation for me having to prove that I can play last year to now, trying to prove that I can have a bigger role in the rotation.”

Look no further than playing-time splits to state his case. In the eight games he’s played between 20-29 minutes, Post has averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 64.9% True Shooting with a plus-minus of +29.4. 

He’s also stretched the floor by converting on standstill threes (42.3%), most of which have come from breakout guard Pat Spencer’s drive-and-kicks.

However, Kerr is more encouraged by Post’s maturation on the other end.

“I think his defense has gotten a lot better,” Kerr said. “The tape shows it, the numbers show it. We’re more able to switch with him. He’s really been able to hold up much better in pick-and-roll coverage than he did a year ago.”

Post’s Hard Work Paying Off

According to Cleaning The Glass, the Warriors are allowing just 104.1 points per possession on a stifling 48.0% effective field goal percentage when Post is on the floor. Opponents are only making 16.0 per 100 field goal attempts as well. 

Additionally, Golden State’s defensive rating increases to 116.5, opponent eFG% bumps to 55.8%, and opponent free-throw rate climbs to 22.3 when Post is sitting. These on and off-court statistics rank among the peaks of the NBA, falling in the 95th percentile or higher.

Though it’s early in the season, with a long way to go, Post is seeing the long hours pay off.

“I think especially my work in the weight room,” Post said. 

“Slowly, I’m seeing the benefits of that. At first, your body has to get used to all the work that you put in, and you’re sore because we spent a lot of time in the weight room this summer.
But now that the season has started, I definitely feel different just in being able to hold my ground and going up without fouling.”

As a rim protector, Post has the ninth-best defended field goal percentage (50.0%) in the league compared to those who have contested at least three paint attempts per game. The only players at his position currently better are Rudy Gobert, Luke Kornet, Jay Huff, Isaiah Hartenstein, Isaiah Stewart, and Robert Williams III.

“A lot of it is just knowing when you can use your hands and when you can’t,” Post voiced.
”A lot of players in this league are very good at seeing you overreach and using that against you to draw a foul. So being able to play without your hands is a big part, and last year, I really struggled with that. This year, I think I’ve did a better job. And then obviously, knowing the scouting report, knowing what guys want to do, forcing guys into tough shots. That’s worked out for me so far this year.”

“I mean, he’s adapting to different situations,” Seth Curry added to RG. “Obviously, he’s confident, looking for his shot at all times. And then, just a little bit more physical on both ends of the floor, whether it’s setting screens, trying to rebound, trying to protect the rim, guard different guys. He’s just a little bit more physical out there from what I can tell.”

Looking up to Draymond

Asked what the most important thing is that he’s learned from the Warriors’ veterans, Post pointed to their approach. He brought up a recent example involving Draymond Green.

“Draymond, he was out for Portland,” Post explained. “He hurt his foot, and then, the next game we played Houston, which is obviously a very big game for him; they have a good front court. Just to see him fight through that injury, fight through the pain just to get back for that game, which was like two days later. It was cool to see, for me.”

Green gritting through the physical setbacks to be there for his teammates is both admirable and necessary. Golden State has been without its franchise player, Stephen Curry, since Nov. 29 due to a left quadriceps contusion, and Jimmy Butler has been dealing with a sore left knee. In the big-man room, Al Horford is battling a bothersome back. And in non-injury news, Kerr has taken Kuminga out of the rotation.

The Warriors are hoping to have Steph back by Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the other three veterans are optimistically only day-to-day and managing their respective injuries. When the squad gets back to full health, it’ll be a boost, but over the last few games, the depth has shone through. 

During Golden State’s 2-1 road trip out east, Spencer became a social media sensation with his clutch performances, Gui Santos and Trayce Jackson-Davis stepped in with solid minutes, and rookie Will Richard held his own as a starter.

“We have 13,14 guys that can play,” Post said. “Right now, for us, the problem is just not having that consistency, trying to figure out which guys need to be out there to win us games. And that’s kind of what we struggle with, but every game is a battle, and we feel like we have the right ingredients. We just kind of need to put it all together.”

In the two days that followed Post’s conversation with RG, the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls in back-to-back days to close their swing.

Golden State now has momentum with plenty of rest ahead of its bout with the Wolves at home. While finding its footing under challenging circumstances has been a collective ordeal, Post’s emergence as a key cog can’t be overstated.

“He’s a great young guy,” Kerr said. “I mean, he puts in the work. He cares so much. He constantly is getting better and looking for ways to get better, so we’re really lucky to have him.”