Warriors confident in new two-big lineup for short stints vs. Rockets

Warriors confident in new two-big lineup for short stints vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HOUSTON – Warriors rookie center Quinten Post never made it to March Madness in his five-year college career. The furthest he went was the NIT where he scored 22 points with nine rebounds and three blocked shots in his final game for Boston College, losing 79-70 to UNLV.

Post, the Warriors’ second-round draft pick at No. 52 overall, didn’t even make his NBA debut until mid-January but soon after found himself in the rotation and has showcased his lack of fear is one of his best traits. He was a game-high plus-12 in the Warriors’ play-in tournament win against the Memphis Grizzlies to secure the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, when he scored 11 points with three 3-pointers and hauled in five rebounds. Still, the NBA playoffs are a different animal.

The lights are brighter. The crowd is more intense. The games are more physical.

He felt it, too.

“I was amped up,” Post told NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday after Warriors practice at the Toyota Center in preparation for Game 2 against the Houston Rockets. “I was ready to go. Throw my weight around. It was just cool.”

In the Warriors’ 95-85 rock fight of a Game 1 win Sunday over the Rockets, Post didn’t just make his playoff debut, but was in more unknown territory. The 7-footer shared the floor alongside fellow center Kevon Looney for the first time. Post admitted he didn’t know coach Steve Kerr would use both players together, though he was comfortable with the combination.

From their four regular-season games against each other, plus one in the NBA Cup, the difference in size between the two teams was obvious. The Warriors start 6-foot-6 Draymond Green at center and always are smaller than their opponent. The Rockets’ starting center is Alperen Şengün at 6-11, and they found a lot of success using a two-big lineup with him and Steven Adams together, who also is 6-11.

They even put 6-10 Jabari Smith Jr. on the floor next to their two centers, and had a lineup at one point that featured Şengün, Adams, Smith, Tari Eason (6-8) and Amen Thompson (6-7). All are taller than Green, and the Warriors only have three players taller than those five Rockets – Post, Looney (6-9) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (6-9).

Post and Looney’s few minutes together weren’t great overall. The first sample also didn’t cause Kerr any concerns.

“They’ve never played together, but the playoffs sometimes dictate maybe a minute or two here and there,” Kerr said. “We obviously did it to combat their two bigs. We like it because Loon’s our best rebounder and Quinten’s one of our best shooters. We’re able to space the floor against them with those two big guys and present a little more size.

“Actually, the most size we can.”

Kerr isn’t going to play them next to each other for long stretches. If they are on the court together, it will be for short stints and based on the Rockets’ personnel.

Post and Looney each were a plus-4 off the bench, and both had one rebound. Neither made a shot. Looney’s one shot was an airball as the shot clock expired and Adams was right on him. Post came up empty trying to dunk on Şengün and Eason, hit the back of the rim on his first 3-point attempt from the right wing and airballed his second three, with that one coming from the right corner.

The duo spent two minutes and 15 seconds together in a lineup that also featured Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and Jimmy Butler, and were outscored 3-0. Those numbers after one game haven’t changed any confidence Post and Looney have in forming their own two-big lineup.

“I felt great with Loon on the floor,” Post said. “Loon does a lot of things that Draymond does. Obviously it was matchup dependent. They play very big. I didn’t expect it before the game, but I mean, at this point, you just do whatever to win and you try out some things to counter their size. I think we felt good out there, and we’ll see how it goes the next few games.”

“My job doesn’t change when he’s out there,” Looney added. “He spaces the floor, he draws attention because he’s a great shooter. I don’t know if we’ll go back to it, but it was fun to be out there with him in a real game.”

Looney early in his career played power forward next to big men like JaVale McGee and DeMarcus Cousins, who are both taller than him, like Post. But in this case, Post, who stands three inches taller than Looney, takes on more of a power forward role with Looney still having center duties.

With his experience next to Green, sliding down from the five to four isn’t a major change for Post.

“I’m more like the four,” Post explained about playing with Looney. “Even with Draymond I play almost like a four offensively. He’s in most of the actions. Right now, that’s just what has worked in those lineups with my ability to space the floor, so that’s just kind of how we do it.”

The playoffs are all about tweaks and adjustments. Rockets coach Ime Udoka is sure to throw something different at the Warriors after having 22 offensive rebounds, 16 more than Golden State, but finding little to no halfcourt offense and outside shooting. If he continues to throw towering lineups out there, Kerr is fine giving them more Post and Looney.

Good butterflies are sure to flutter again before Game 2 for Post. His heart will race, as it should, but he knows getting that first game done already has him feeling a new sense of calmness and composure.

“One hundred percent,” Post says. “Now it’ll definitely become a little easier. I did definitely have some nerves going into the game. I could have been sharper in some of the decisions I made on the court, and I think getting that Game 1 out of the way, it’ll become easier.”

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Warriors confident in new two-big lineup for short stints vs. Rockets

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