Golden State Warriors v Chicago Bulls | Michael Reaves/GettyImages
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has often gained a reputation of not particularly trusting young players over recent years, especially when it comes to 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
However, he has shown more faith in the Warrior young players over recent times, starting with more consistent playing time for Moody and Kuminga, along with showing significant trust in Brandin Podziemski from early in his rookie year.
Kerr has gone as far as to bring 52nd overall pick Quinten Post not only into the rotation, but into the starting lineup as he searches for more shooting on the floor and particularly in the front court where Golden State have a number of key players who aren’t respected from beyond the arc.
Is Steve Kerr resuming his old ways when it comes to Quinten Post?
While Post had become a staple of the Warrior rotation, things have changed slightly in the final few games before the All-Star break. You would think the return of Draymond Green would have almost meant more minutes for Post given the lack of spacing the veteran forward provides, but instead all it’s done is brought Kerr back towards small-ball lineups.
Over a five game span between January 31 and February 8, Post averaged 10.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 50% from the floor and 40.9% from 3-point range in over 19 minutes per game. In the three games leading into the All-Star break, the 24-year-old made just one start and averaged only 11.4 minutes.
Post still averaged 6.0 points and shot 44.4% from 3-point range in those three games, but it was clear that Kerr wanted a more switchable defense and a little more versatility out on the floor.
The rookie center has developed the defensive side of his game over the course of this season, yet it’s still at a point where it’s seen as a weakness and subsequently leaves him on the bench for large periods.
Still, many fans will have been frustrated by Post’s lack of playing time over the last three games, especially when his 3-point shooting has been such a breath of fresh air for a team that desperately needed this new dynamic.
It’s now going to be interesting to see whether Post reclaims his starting role, or whether Kerr continues with his old method of not particularly trusting young players and essentially utilizing them on a game-by-game basis.
