Quinten Post’s first night in a Grizzlies uniform offered an immediate glimpse of why Memphis pounced in restricted free agency.
The seven-footer started against the Atlanta Hawks in his preseason debut and made the most of a short run, finishing with eight points and four rebounds in 12 minutes. He shot 3-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from behind the arc, a tidy line that fit neatly into a Memphis attack that came out firing.
That offense was the real story. The Grizzlies, who ranked just 23rd in offense last season, dropped 81 points in the first half and scored 49 of them in the second quarter alone against a Hawks defense that had been top 10 in the league. Memphis built a 20-point cushion while looking very different from the group that finished last season.
Post was part of that new look, starting alongside another former Warrior, Ty Jerome, who has taken over point guard duties from the now departed Ja Morant. Jerome posted 12 points and five assists in 15 minutes, while prized third overall pick Cam Boozer added 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 18 minutes.
Post sat out the second half as Memphis rolled to a 132-123 win, but the first impression was exactly what the Grizzlies wanted after landing him on a three-year, $30 million deal with only the first year guaranteed.
The move already looks sharper when viewed from Golden State’s side. The Warriors were not eager to commit $10 million to a third-string center, but the situation around their big-man rotation has made Post’s departure look more significant. Kristaps Porzingis has missed training camp and the preseason opener because of another health concern, and 40-year-old Al Horford comes with his own availability questions.
That leaves Golden State leaning on Charles Bassey and Graham Ike, two inexperienced centers who were solid in the preseason opener but don’t bring the same floor-spacing threat from the five spot that Post does.
The Warriors will get an early look at what they lost. Memphis visits Golden State in the home opener on October 23.
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