Heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, the Golden State Warriors will be placing heavy expectations on their incoming rookies. There isn’t much time for typical growing pains when the team is looking to compete for a championship before their window is slammed shut. This places Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga in an interesting position.
The two prospects won’t have to lead the charge by any means but they will have significant roles. It is important they both find their niche quickly at the start of the season as to slide into a comfortable job as soon as possible.
While Kuminga was the higher pick with a higher ceiling — Moody is the most likely to be an impactful player. This is in part due to Kuminga being a work in progress but also a testament to Moody’s strongest attributes.
The Golden State Warriors have two promising young rookies but Moses Moody might emerge as the most impactful one this season.
Moody enters the NBA as an already prolific shooter. He drilled 58 total 3-pointers in 32 collegiate games on a league-average efficiency. Moody was even better in the Las Vegas Summer League, ranking as one of the best shooters by volume and percentage (37 percent).
These qualities will help him be a weapon from day one. If there is any team in the NBA that knows how to utilize shooters, it’s the Dubs. Their free-flowing system will ensure Moody gets plenty of good looks from deep. All that’s left is for him to knock down shots.
More notably is Moody’s feel for the game. A high-IQ player, Moody is going to love playing in the Warriors’ sandbox as he moves off-ball and into open jump shots. He hasn’t shown to be a particularly strong playmaker but he is a good decision-maker. This indicates Moody will fit perfectly as a cog in the machine for Golden State.
Moody’s likelihood of fitting in right away and spacing the floor will make him the type of instant-impact rookie the Warriors need next season. I wouldn’t expect him to garner any Rookie of the Year attention but he might end up as the best rookie in Golden State.