Kristaps Porzingis made his eagerly awaited debut for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, putting up 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in just 17 minutes. Despite his solid performance, the Warriors fell to the Boston Celtics, 121-110.
Porzingis' arrival has shaken up the Warriors' lineup, particularly impacting young big man Quinten Post, who experienced his first "Did Not Play" (DNP) of the season. After starting 22 consecutive games in December and January, Post's role had already been diminishing even before Golden State's trade deadline move, which saw them acquire Porzingis in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
Since the trade, Post's court time has dwindled significantly. He logged less than 16 total minutes and went scoreless in games against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies.
However, just before the All-Star break, Post showed promise with a productive 13-minute stint against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 12 points, grabbing three rebounds, and dishing out two assists, while shooting 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. He was one of only two Warriors to post a positive plus-minus in that game.
Despite this flash of potential, Post found himself benched on Thursday, with Porzingis and Al Horford taking most of the center minutes, and Draymond Green stepping in as a small-ball center at the start of each half. Unless injuries occur-always a possibility given Porzingis' history-Post's chances of reclaiming a spot in the rotation seem slim, except perhaps during back-to-backs when the Warriors manage their veterans' minutes.
Porzingis, after a strong debut, is expected to see increased playing time. He expressed eagerness to play more and mentioned plans to log additional minutes in the upcoming game against the Denver Nuggets.
Meanwhile, Post's absence coincided with a rough outing for Draymond Green, who played less than 19 minutes. Green struggled, missing all seven of his shots and finishing with just two rebounds and three assists, resulting in a -28 plus-minus.
This DNP comes at a challenging time for Post, who is in a contract year. As a restricted free agent this offseason, his prospects for securing a multi-year deal worth over $5 million annually may be jeopardized by Porzingis' impact, which has already pushed him out of the rotation.