Golden State Warriors: Moses Moody should be capable of instant impact

Aug 28, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody prepares to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 28, 2021; Oakland, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody prepares to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Golden State Warriors are going to look to make waves in the Western Conference next season, and it will take a colossal effort from their defense to do that. Without many pieces to enhance that end of the court, the Warriors may have to depend on rookie Moses Moody.

Moody was the 14th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Golden State should’ve felt like they got great value picks with both Jonathan Kuminga and Moody, both of which were projected to go ahead of their respective draft position.

The Golden State Warriors are going to need a shooting guard to step up, and if he’s capable of producing defensively, it could very well be rookie Moses Moody.

Much like Kawhi Leonard, what sets Moody apart is his physique. Moody stands 6-foot-5, which isn’t overly impressive; however, one must also consider that he has a length 7-foot-1 wingspan also helping him.

At the collegiate level, Moody averaged 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. As a freshman, he was nominated to the All-SEC team. Not a big-time name coming out of high school, this was a drastic improvement for the young 19-year-old guard.

Moody showed a capable offensive side, the reason he was taken as a lottery pick. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He also averaged 1.8 threes per game which helps when being evaluated for the NBA.

He continued that trend of being a capable scorer at the Las Vegas Summer League, where both Moody and Kuminga showed their high upside. As for the former, Moody recorded 16.3 points per game and shot 43 percent from the field.

He also averaged 1.3 steals per game. Everything is lining up for Moody to be a stud at the highest level. Whether he can take that to the next level when competing with the Warriors’ top roster will be far more telling.

Klay Thompson is going to be out until Christmas. The Warriors need someone to step up as a shooting guard. While Moody may not start, he should end up as the best defensive option with Mychal Mulder, Damion Lee, and Jordan Poole all relatively undersized.

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We’ll see how head coach Steve Kerr opts to use the four with no Thompson, but with Curry scoring at a high level, it wouldn’t be shocking if the rookie was given at least a quarter per game to kick off his career.