The Golden State Warriors’ brutal 123-117 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night came after the Warriors took a 17-point first-half lead. Despite gaining all conceivable momentum and silencing the most raucous crowd in the NBA, Sacramento quickly erased the lead thanks to 19 third-quarter points from six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan. More of the same followed in the fourth quarter, as Sacramento’s constant double-teaming of two-time league MVP Stephen Curry worked to their advantage.
Though the defeat pushed the Warriors to below .500 with a 21-22 record, Golden State was able to take some positives away as their No. 52 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft showed promise on the court by performing well against one of the league’s best centers in the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis. At 7 feet tall, the sharpshooting Quinten Post also displayed humility by recognizing Stephen Curry as a pillar of the Warriors’ franchise.
Warriors Rookie Praises Stephen Curry’s Leadership
Quinten Post Spoke on Having Curry as a Mentor
After the Warriors’ veteran center Kevon Looney went scoreless in nine minutes of action as a starter, Post ate up a large chunk of playing time alongside sophomore big Trayce Jackson-Davis. In 15 minutes, Post came in with an aggressive mindset as a capable floor-stretching option, finishing with five points and six rebounds. The Kings’ Sabonis ultimately ended up taking advantage of his ability to bully his way to the free-throw line, forcing Post to collect three fouls in the fourth quarter and five for the contest.
In an atmosphere that most young players would have a hard time acclimating to, Post remained calm as the game became tight in the late stages, knocking down a huge three-pointer in the final frame and making quick decisions when receiving the ball on a short roll after Curry faced double-teams. The game ultimately was captured by Sacramento and Golden State blew yet another double-digit lead this season, but Post showed that he was ready for the moment.
Reporters asked the 24-year-old about his adjustment to playing with Curry during his post-game media availability to which he gave an insightful response, as shared by 95.7 The Game via Twitter/X.
“I think that’s kind of part of being a rookie. You just kind of have to figure that out. I mean, obviously what Steph has done for this organization, it’s kind of his organization. I just have to fit in and I’ll figure it out, I’ll talk to him about it. But he’s a great leader and tells me what he likes in certain actions. Yeah, it’ll just take a little time but we’ll figure it out.”
Post Could Earn More Opportunity Through Positive Production
It was already becoming easy for fans to gravitate toward Post due to his floor-spacing skill at the center position, but his recent comments showed that the rookie knows he needs to fill a specific role. Upon entering the game in Sacramento, Post was able to step into three-pointers with no hesitation while also being able to differentiate what was and was not a good shot opportunity.
The rangy big man displayed confidence along with maturity and selflessness, three major tenets of Warriors basketball under head coach Steve Kerr. By putting in the effort to become a more impactful rim-protector and knowing when it’s his time to assert himself as a shooting threat, Post can eventually creep into the Warriors’ rotation on a consistent basis.
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