Kristaps Porzingis is still nowhere to be seen for the Golden State Warriors, and Quinten Post’s start with the Memphis Grizzlies is only making that absence sting more.
Memphis handed Post a three-year, $30 million restricted free agent deal, a move that drew plenty of raised eyebrows at the time. Now, with the Grizzlies off to a 5-0 start and already owning one of the league’s early surprises, the Warriors have reasons to wonder whether they should have put themselves in a stronger position to match it.
That winning streak includes Memphis’ comeback victory over Golden State at Chase Center last Friday, a result that fit the bigger picture around the Grizzlies’ opening 10 days. A team many expected to land near the bottom of the Western Conference has instead looked like a sneaky playoff contender, and Post has settled into his role as part of that push.
He hasn’t been asked to carry anything close to a star’s load, but he has given Memphis what they were betting on. The Grizzlies took a shot on his rookie-year three-point touch and the interior defense he showed in year two, and early on, that mix is paying off. Post is shooting 41.7% from deep on nearly 2.5 attempts per game, while also ranking fourth in defensive rating on a Memphis defense that sits fourth in the league.
On top of that, he’s averaging 7.6 points while shooting over 60% from the field. Those numbers may not hold all season, but the Grizzlies have already gotten a real return on the gamble.
For Golden State, the issue runs deeper than just losing a useful big man. The Warriors couldn’t have kept Post and stayed under the second apron, and they also wouldn’t have wanted to commit $10 million to a third center. What they didn’t factor in was Porzingis being completely away from the team, leaving open the possibility that Post could have grown into a starter even while playing around 20 minutes a night.
Draymond Green has handled the small-ball five role well against Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert over the last two games, but it’s fair to wonder how long that can last over the course of a full season. Steve Kerr also doesn’t seem to trust Charles Bassey or Graham Ike in those spots, likely because neither gives the Warriors the floor spacing that Green needs around him.
If Porzingis were available, all of this would look different. Instead, Post’s departure is being felt far more sharply because the former All-Star may never play professional basketball again.
In Other News...
Warriors Head Into Lakers Rematch With A Serious Availability Problem
The rematch between the Warriors and Lakers is arriving with both teams already shorthanded, which makes the roster news almost as important as the matchup itself. Los Angeles has ruled out Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero, while Ziaire Williams is listed as questionable, so the Lakers are still juggling pieces on the eve of tipoff.
Golden States situation looks even more complicated. Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Kristaps Porzingis are all unavailable, and Gui Santos is doubtful, leaving the Warriors to sort through a thinner rotation than they would prefer in a game that could easily come down to depth and whoever is able to suit up. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Trade Buzz Comes Down To One Crucial Roster Choice
Trade chatter around the Warriors has a way of circling back to fit, and this time the conversation points toward New Orleans as a possible partner. The Pelicans have come up as a potential trade match, with center Yves Missi drawing interest, while the broader discussion has centered on the kind of package Golden State would have to assemble to make a deal worth pursuing. Names like Trey Murphy III, Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody and Herb Jones have all been floated as pieces in the larger evaluation, with the Warriors weighing both the price and the basketball fit.
What makes this especially interesting for Golden State is that the decision may come down less to star power than to roster balance. The case for Herb Jones is rooted in the Warriors' defensive needs and the practical reality of salary considerations, two factors that can matter just as much as scoring talent in a deal of this type. If the front office keeps digging on this path, the real question becomes which version of the trade actually makes the roster sturdier without costing too much of what the Warriors already value. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Concerns About Ben Simmons Suddenly Look Hard To Ignore
Ben Simmons path back into the league had already been under a bright spotlight after he sat out the previous season and then signed a minimum deal with the Sacramento Kings. During a preseason game against the Warriors, he and Steve Kerr reportedly spent time talking through the concerns Golden State had about Simmons health, a sign that the questions surrounding his availability were not exactly new.
Now those worries look even harder to dismiss after Simmons suffered a torn Achilles in a workout and was ruled out for the season. For the Warriors, it is one more reminder that any evaluation of Simmons has to start with the same issue that has followed him for months: whether he can stay on the floor long enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]