SAN FRANCISCO – The flight on which Quinten Post is among the pilots is revealing and enlightening. It’s satisfying and frustrating, joyful and infuriating. His introduction to the world of Warriors basketball has been quite the ride, and he has embraced knowing that he’ll influence how long it lasts this season.
He has progressed from a second-round pick in the NBA draft last June to a two-way contract in September to his NBA debut in December to becoming a fixture in Golden State’s rotation in January to making 14 starts as a rookie.
If that’s not enough to substantiate his value, he’s now crucial to the team’s attempt to make a deep NBA playoff run.
Forgive Post if his head were spinning atop his 7-foot frame, but it seems solidly in place.
“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Post tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “Biggest difference, I mean, I was in Santa Cruz, and now here. Back then I was just trying to prove anything. That I could fit or belong. And now there’s a real responsibility on my shoulders. I have an impact on winning or losing. And that that comes with the pressure. The pressure is a blessing. That means that people are relying on you. That’s something special.
“It’s a super cool situation to be in. It’s a whole different world, obviously, for me.”
Post was a non-factor in his playoff debut against the Rockets last Sunday in Houston. Played 12 minutes, went 0 of 3 from the field, with one rebound, one assist and two fouls in a 95-85 win in Game 1. He recovered Wednesday in Game 2, playing 25 minutes and totaling 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from distance.
The only Warrior to score more points in Game 2 was franchise icon Stephen Curry, who finished with 20.
Yet Post laments his lack of impact elsewhere in a 109-94 loss. Specifically rebounding. The Warriors were outrebounded by 16 (52-36) in Game 1 and by 14 (47-33) in Game 2. He grabbed two in Game 2.
“I don’t think anybody expects that we’re going to out-reach and out-rebound them,” Post says of the Rockets, who in the regular season led the league rebounding. “We just have to limit that and play to our strengths, which is playing fast, limiting our turnovers and playing to our game plan. I don’t think anybody was expecting us to outrebound them when we’re obviously a smaller team.
“But when I come off the bench, that’s something I need to get better at. I need to be a better rebounder. I need to become more physical, and with time that will definitely come. I can help us with it now, but I need to become better at rebounding. One thousand percent.”
Houston’s rebounding is among the early pivotal themes in the series, and it’s particularly noticeable when Rockets coach Ime Udoka turns to a lineup with 6-foot-11, 265-pound Steven Adams playing alongside 6-foot-11, 235-pound Alperen Şengün. Towering over Warriors not named Post, they combined for 21 rebounds in Game 1 and 19 in Game 2.
“And then they have their big wings in there crashing,” Post says. “We just play a smaller style of basketball. But I need to be better, and as a team we need to do better.”
The possession game likely will tilt the series. Houston’s rebounding has been a major factor in it attempting 17 more field goals through the first two games. The Rockets’ poor shooting in Game 1 rendered that irrelevant, but their recovery in Game 2 resulted in a 15-point win.
Post is correct in that it’s unrealistic for the Warriors to win that battle, but he’s also correct in saying he needs to be better at it. Same applies to Draymond Green, who has 11 rebounds in two games – the same total as Stephen Curry – and Moses Moody, who has two. The availability of Jimmy Butler III, who pulled seven rebounds in Game 1, is in question for Game 3.
The Warriors are emphasizing the need to match Houston’s physicality. It’s visible and consistent. All rookies realize the playoffs are a different game; Post is seeing that it’s even more pronounced among big men.
“It’s very physical, so I do see differences,” he says. “And they’ve got a good crowd there in Houston. But I know that we’ll have a good, maybe better, crowd here in Chase. So you just feel the intensity. They play a very physical game, too. They probably bumped up the physicality in Game 2, with the mentality that the ref can’t call everything.
“Looking back at that game, I didn’t even realize some of the things that were going on the court. Shoving, pushing, pulling. That’s kind of what happened. And now we just have to respond in Game 3.”
Post, 25, was exposed to basketball while growing up in the Netherlands, idolizing Dirk Nowitzki, who was born and raised in neighboring Germany. Post is in the rotation because, at 44.9 percent, he was the team’s most accurate 3-point shooter. He stretches the floor, a key component of the offense built around Curry.
Post could not have known last spring that he would be in the NBA playoffs with such future Hall of Famers as Curry, Green and Butler. Or that he would have a significant role.
Moreover, the Warriors could not have known they would need him as much as they do.
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