The Memphis Grizzlies made an aggressive move this offseason when they signed center Quinten Post.
Because he was a restricted free agent, his former team, the Golden State Warriors, had an opportunity to match Memphis’ contract offer. But the Grizzlies structured Post’s three-year deal in a way that made it difficult for Golden State to match.
That type of move signals that Post was a player the Grizzlies coveted and valued. With training camp and the preseason less than a month away, here’s a look at how Post could fit with the Grizzlies.
Solidifying the depth
Zach Edey is expected to be the starting center to begin the season. Entering the offseason, Memphis didn’t have much depth behind him.
Adding Post and trading for former Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart
has all but solidified the position.
Stewart has more experience and NBA credentials than Post, and he’ll likely serve as the primary backup center.
The third center typically isn’t a regular rotation player, but the Grizzlies made a significant investment in Post. Edey is also coming off multiple ankle surgeries, making the ability to have two backup centers who can step into the rotation valuable.
Stretch 5, lineup versatility
Post’s ability to stretch the floor is one of the biggest keys to his path to playing time. Edey and Stewart are capable shooters, but shooting is one of Post’s best assets. He’s a career 36.4% 3-point shooter on more than four attempts per game.
If he can continue to be an outside threat, Memphis could explore bigger lineups during the preseason. With three centers who have starting experience, playing two of them together for periods of time is a possibility worth exploring early.
Stewart, Post and Edey all have shown the ability to protect the rim. Stewart is the one of the three with the most experience playing power forward in his career.
Memphis could at least explore the idea of putting Stewart and Post on the floor together during the preseason to determine whether the pairing can work.
Areas of improvement
While Post has strong shooting skills and the ability to protect the rim, he has weaknesses that prevented him from holding down a starting spot in Golden State. Rebounding and lateral agility are two of those areas.
Post has averaged 3.8 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game during his two-year career. His offensive rebound percentage was 6.4% last season. Edey, by comparison, posted a 16.1% offensive rebound percentage, while Stewart has a career mark of 9.8%.
Post’s shooting and offensive playmaking could allow him to play some power forward offensively, but his limited lateral quickness on defense makes that unlikely to be a regular option.
Post operates better around the rim, which is where he’d be able to play at the 5. The more space he’s required to cover, the more likely he is to get into trouble defensively.
Between Stewart, Post and Edey, the Grizzlies have a trio of centers who should give them a much-improved group compared with last season.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Breaking down Quinten Post's fit as center with Memphis Grizzlies
