NBA two-way players rarely get the floor handed to them the way Quinten Post found it against Chicago on January 23, 2025. Just beyond the arc, the Warriors rookie kept firing. By the end of Golden State’s 131–106 victory, he had scored 20 points and buried five three-pointers, according to the NBA’s official game book.
Stephen Curry suddenly had a center who could pull another defender out of his path. Afterward, Steve Kerr described Curry as the happiest person in the building because of the space Post created, as SFGATE reported. A rookie had supplied something the veteran needed.
That made Post useful immediately. Keeping him useful required work at the other end, where opposing guards could drag him into ball screens and test his feet. Five threes bought attention; surviving those possessions could buy another shift.
For NBA two-way players, that gap separates a memorable night from a place in the rotation. Coaches need someone they can send back out while the result still matters.
Post gave Curry room and Kerr a decision
A shooting center changes where defenders can stand. When he screens and steps outside, the opposing big man must choose between following him and helping against the ball handler. Curry makes either choice uncomfortable. Post’s willingness to shoot gave Golden State another way to punish that hesitation.
Kerr needed his rookie to defend the same action. In January 2025, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sam Gordon detailed the coach’s concerns about Post guarding pick-and-rolls. Meeting the guard near the screen required one movement; recovering toward the rolling center demanded another. A late retreat could leave the basket exposed.
That second movement matters as much as the jumper. If a center retreats too early, he gives the ballhandler space to pull up. Chase too far, and the pass can sail behind him. The defender must read both threats while moving backward.
For NBA two-way players with a standout offensive skill, showcasing it only covers part of the job. Post had to keep Golden State’s defense together long enough for his shooting to help. His teammates could cover some mistakes, but every extra rotation risked leaving somebody open.
By February 2025, the Warriors had seen enough to give Post a standard NBA contract. He no longer needed a two-way slot. Golden State had made room for him on the main roster.
Mitchell earned his chance before the crowd saw it
Post could help Curry without holding the ball for long. Ajay Mitchell’s position demanded more dribbling, more decisions, and more chances to lose a possession. A backup guard has to get the offense moving before the defense squeezes it into a rushed shot.
Mitchell began earning his opportunity away from television cameras. During the opening week of the 2024–25 season, The Oklahoman reported that Mark Daigneault pointed to training-camp five-on-five sessions when explaining his early confidence in Mitchell. The rookie had shown enough against his own teammates to earn a look against somebody else’s.
That detail matters for NBA two-way players. Fans first encounter the evidence during games; coaches watch the possessions that never reach a highlight package. Practice lets them see whether a guard delivers the pass, finds his defensive assignment, and keeps moving when the first option disappears.
Mitchell turned that opening into regular work. By the time Oklahoma City signed him to a multiyear deal on February 6, 2025, he had played 34 games and averaged 16.5 minutes. His 6.4 points and 1.7 assists per game came from an actual place in the rotation.
Those numbers describe a player carrying part of the nightly workload. They cannot explain every substitution Daigneault made. His comments about training camp fill in an important piece: Mitchell started earning those minutes before the regular season began.
A reserve guard has to leave room for better scorers. Holding the dribble can turn a teammate’s clean catch into a contested one. Moving the ball promptly lets the next player attack a defender who has not recovered.
Mitchell could earn minutes by helping an established rotation run smoothly. In Memphis, injuries left Scotty Pippen Jr. trying to hold one together.
Memphis needed Pippen because its backcourt kept disappearing
The Grizzlies needed guards because injuries had torn through their roster. Pippen’s opportunity carried real responsibility, with much of the established backcourt unavailable. He had to help run an offense missing the players who normally steered it.
The NBA’s February 26, 2024, injury report showed the damage: Ja Morant out following shoulder surgery, Desmond Bane sidelined by an ankle sprain, and Marcus Smart nursing a finger injury. Those absences removed established ballhandlers and defenders from the same backcourt. Pippen had room to play because Memphis had so few familiar options left.
He put those minutes to work. Across 21 appearances that season, Pippen made 16 starts and averaged 25.1 minutes, producing 12.9 points and 4.7 assists per game. When Memphis signed him to a multiyear standard contract that October, the emergency replacement had earned a place beyond the emergency.
For NBA two-way players, an injury crisis can supply the repetitions that a healthy rotation cannot. More possessions mean more chances to show a useful pass, a strong finish, or disciplined ball pressure. They give opponents time to identify weaknesses, too.
Memphis’s injuries helped create the minutes; Pippen’s performance gave the organization a reason to keep him. Leaving out either part changes the story. His chance grew from the missing names on the lineup sheet, but he still had to deliver once he stepped onto the floor.
The next challenge changes the work. A guard who runs possessions for a depleted team may later spend more time cutting, screening, and catching beside established creators. His contribution must survive fewer touches.
Coaches have to let the next possession happen
The hard part of developing NBA two-way players comes after the first encouraging stretch. Opponents adjust, the jumper stops falling, or a rookie arrives late to a defensive assignment. Pulling him immediately may protect one possession while denying him the chance to correct the next.
Post understood what Kerr’s patience meant. In an April 2025 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he said: “He let me play through so much, through some rookie mistakes.” Getting another shift gave him another chance to get the coverage right.
Patience still needs a basketball reason. Coaches can live with a missed shot that comes from the right place. Repeatedly missing the same coverage forces teammates to scramble and makes the next substitution harder to justify.
The contract adds urgency. Under the G League’s published 2025–26 rules, teams could carry three two-way players, each limited to 50 NBA active-list appearances. Dressing without playing still counted. A coach could keep a prospect available, leave him on the bench, and use up one of those nights anyway.
Eventually, the front office has to make room. To join the postseason roster, a two-way player must sign a standard contract before his team’s final regular-season game begins. For NBA two-way players, earning the coach’s nod can put a bigger decision on the general manager’s desk.
Post, Mitchell and Pippen reached that decision through different openings. Shooting created space in Golden State, practice helped establish Mitchell in Oklahoma City, and injuries accelerated Pippen’s audition in Memphis. Each supplied enough useful basketball for his team to make room.
The next prospect approaching the scorer’s table needs that same concrete reason to return. His coach has already seen the talent. Now comes the possession that makes sending him back feel easy.
READ MORE: When NBA coaching staffs decide a two-way player has earned rotation minutes
FAQs
How do NBA two-way players earn rotation minutes?
They give coaches a useful skill, make smart decisions, and hold up defensively. Helping established teammates can earn them another shift.
Why did Quinten Post earn minutes with the Warriors?
Post’s shooting created space for Stephen Curry. Against Chicago on January 23, 2025, he scored 20 points and made five three-pointers.
Why did Scotty Pippen Jr. get so much playing time in Memphis?
Injuries depleted the Grizzlies’ backcourt. Pippen took advantage, averaging 12.9 points and 4.7 assists across 21 appearances during the 2023–24 season.
Does dressing without playing count toward the two-way game limit?
Yes. Under the 2025–26 rules discussed here, joining the active list counted toward the 50-game limit even if the player stayed on the bench.
Can NBA two-way players play in the postseason?
They must first sign a standard NBA contract. The deadline comes before their team’s final regular-season game begins.
