Quinten Post on Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, idolizing Mavs legend and locking in (EXCLUSIVE)
Whether he played in high-stakes minutes or watched attentively on the sideline, Golden State Warriors rookie Quinten Post learned plenty both about himself and his teammates in a seven-game first-round series win over the Houston Rockets.
He experienced the elation and frustration over each win and loss. He absorbed the increased physicality. He admired how Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler thrived in pressure-packed moments.
Post will soon find out whether the seventh-seeded Warriors can replicate it again against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals, beginning with Game 1 on Tuesday in Minnesota.
Before boarding a team flight, Post spoke with Sportskeeda about his growth as the Warriors’ No. 52 pick, becoming the most efficient 3-point shooter in his rookie class and his various defensive assignments against Houston.
Post also shed light on the Warriors’ players’ only team meeting before Game 7, how Curry managed the Rockets’ physicality and how Green handled his emotions in a competitive playoff series.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed
What do you take away from your playoff experience so far both with your successes and challenges?
Post: “I thought it was a great experience as a rookie to be on the court and in a Game 7. Just to go through the intensity and the ups and downs of the playoffs, it’s a different ball game. There are a lot more emotions.
"Individually, I also had some ups and downs. I had some good moments and I had some worse moments. It’s a good reality check on where I stand and where I want to go as a player. It’s been a great experience overall.”
What do you think that reality check is?
Post: “Mentally, I think I was there, which is already half of the challenge. I was ready for the challenge. I think there were some games where I defended pretty well. There were a few games that I rebounded well. My shot wasn’t exactly falling as I had hoped throughout the series (32.5% overall, 30.8% from 3).
"But there were definitely games where rebounding was tough. They have a lot of size out there. Steven Adams was a big human being. Especially in Game 6, I definitely struggled to rebound the ball. Those are things I take away. I want to get stronger during the offseason. I tried to learn as much as possible from each game.”
How do you think you dealt with the heightened physicality?
Post: “They’re not like any team. I think I’ll have a better idea after next series. But I don’t think every playoff series is like this. This was an extremely physical playoff series. There was the rebounding battle, guarding post-up players and scuffles on the court. It was just a dogfight out there.
"Mentally, you had to be ready for every game because you knew it was going to be a fight out there. As a team, I thought we responded. They are probably one of the most physical teams in the whole league. It’s a great challenge for us. We got it done in the end.”
You had so many defensive assignments. The tracking data showed you had some success with guarding Amen Thompson (8-for-20) and Alperen Şengün (6-for-15), but some challenges with Fred VanFleet (5-for-10), Dillon Brooks (3-for-4) and Steven Adams (3-for-3). How would you break down your approach with each matchup, what do you did well and what challenges you faced?
Post: “All of them have a different skillset. Şengün plays very physical, so you just had to match his physicality. Amen is a talented player and very athletic, obviously. For him, it was more about forcing him to take tough 2s than letting him get to the rim.
"Steven Adams wasn’t really out there to make shots, but he got a few off. Dillon Brooks, I don’t really know. But they had a lot of different lineups out there. It was a tough challenge overall.”
I understand you would’ve wanted to play in a Game 7. But with what did you learn from seeing Steph, Draymond and Jimmy [Butler] play in a Game 7 and what it takes to close out a series like that?
Post: “I think it all started ahead of time. We had a team meeting. Just the fact that it was players’ only and that we even had that is important. Our vets stood up and wanted to talk to us and also take responsibility.
"They’re saying they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win Game 7. As a young guy, it means a lot to see that type of leadership. From that point on, I felt like everyone was locked in. I got to see how they handled the pressure and how they came out and played in Game 7. It was really impressive."
What were their messages in the team meeting?
Post: “Nothing too crazy. Everybody stuck within themselves. They talked about controlling the controllables. That was the biggest message – ‘Don’t do anything different than we had been doing. What can you do individually to help the team succeed.’ Game 7 wasn’t anything special. But just the fact that they took the time to talk to us, that set the tone.”
Their resume speaks for itself. But what has the Steph, Draymond and Jimmy teammate experience been like?
Post: “It’s been cool. I think it’s very valuable as a young guy to go into the league and have real vets. There are a lot of teams that have a lot of young players, but that don’t have a lot of veteran leadership like we do. It’s easy to fall in line. Those are guys that have been there. So it’s easy to follow their lead.”
How did you see Steph deal with Houston’s physicality?
Post: “It was really impressive to see how he didn’t get flustered with how physically they were guarding him. They were basically draped all over him. To see him keep his poise and have the games that he did even with that defense, it shows that he’s just a killer. He doesn’t get bothered by anything. It’s really impressive.”
You also saw the Draymond experience with his defensive intensity and versatility, but also picking up flagrants. How did you see him manage those things throughout the series?
Post: “He’s just a winner. He plays on the edge. I think that’s also what makes him ‘him.’ I don’t think as a team that we ever care if he picks up a tech or a flagrant. He plays with so much passion. So that comes with him.
"But he’s also one of the most self-aware people. When he feels like he didn’t do the team justice, then he will tell us that. He will be clear with that. Then in the next game, you won’t see anything with that from him. He just plays to win. I’m just impressed overall with how he handles himself and the intensity he plays with.”
What do you think were the turning points that explain your growth this season with being a second-round pick, getting the two-way contract, and then getting regular-season rotation and playoff minutes?
Post: “It’s always a bunch of factors combined. Obviously, you need to have self-belief. Even when I was in the G League, I had this belief in myself that this would work out. I had a lot of things that I did in the best of my career so far. Then you just need an opportunity. They were struggling a little bit during the regular season.
"We had a super hot start. Then we kind of cooled down. Coach [Steve] Kerr wanted to try something out. At that point, that was me. I had a really good stint in the G League. I started off slowly. Then I found my rhythm a little bit. We were winning our games in the G League. Then I just got a chance."
Post continued:
"I’m very grateful because coach let me play through some mistakes, especially early on. I definitely didn’t play perfect. It wasn’t like I came out and was a game changer at all. That wasn’t the case at all. But he let me play through some mistakes. Then I think Jimmy being traded to us also helped me out.
"With Jimmy and Draymond on the floor, you need shooting around that. That’s something that I provided early on. It’s about self belief and working on your game. But it’s also understanding that it’s about crossing up an opportunity.”
What’s been the key to leading your rookie class for best 3-point percentage this season ? (Among players that took 75 attempts)
Post: “Self-belief. When I started the G League season, I really struggled with my shooting. I understood that part of the reason I was drafted was because I could shoot the ball really well for a big man. I started the G League season with some really rough games with shooting the 3. It took me some time to get adjusted to the 3-point line and to some of the pressure.
"But my last few games in the G League, I found my rhythm shooting wise. Then I came to the NBA and that translated. I was making shots from my first game on, and I never looked back on it. You try to play free out there. When you’re open, just shoot the ball. If it goes in, it goes in, If it doesn’t, you still take the next one with the same mentality.”
Different position. But from one shooter to another, what jumps out to you about Steph’s shooting routine in practice and before games?
Post: “He’s a hard worker. He has the same routine that he always follows. He’s a very routine, feel-good shooter. He’s the type of shooter than when he sees one go in, then the next one is going up. He just needs to see one go in.
"It might be a free throw or any other shot. Then the next shot, it just goes in there. When he gets in that zone and has rhythm, he is unstoppable. It’s really cool to see.”
What’s the craziest shot that you’ve seen him make?
Post: “There have been a few buzzer beaters. There was one full court in Orlando. But I think the craziest one might have been in Brooklyn. He did a 180 and just threw a toss up. But it was all net. That was a game where we struggled in the first half. But then Steph beat the buzzer before halftime. We kind of needed it. That helped us get over the hump and helped us win that game.”
Growing up in the Netherlands, you’ve said that you idolized Dirk Nowitzki and followed his path from Germany to the NBA. What did you admire about his game?
Post: “Just to see a European big like him dominate the NBA where the athleticism has always been on top, that was really cool. At that point, I didn’t know that I would be 7-feet. But his poise and shotmaking ability was always something that spoke to me. He paved the way for taller players also to shoot the ball. He’s always been an idol of mine.”
Have you been able to cross paths with him?
Post: “Not yet. I hope to see him one day.”
Based off what you’ve shown in the regular season and the first round of the playoffs, what do you expect you can do if you get an opportunity in the second round against Minnesota?
Post: “It’s about staying ready. Hopefully, I’ll get a shot again or a crack at it. I haven’t played against Minnesota yet this season. I wasn’t in the rotation yet when we played them. But I’m excited. We’ll see what I can do. I’m really happy there is more basketball for us to play.”
Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
