Rookie Moses Moody made his NBA debut for the Golden State Warriors this preseason and is now prepping for his first official game against the Los Angeles Lakers. How did the late lottery pick fair in his first few trial runs of professional basketball?
The Golden State Warriors gave limited burn to Moses Moody during the preseason but we can still analyze the rookie, anyways.
Moody was on a tighter leash than most expected. He spent the first half of pretty much each game on the bench — only racking up 14.1 minutes a night as the Warriors emphasized building cohesion with the vets rather than developing the youth. This strategy worked for Golden State as they went a perfect 5-0 in the preseason.
Regardless, Moody managed to show some brief flashes in his limited minutes. Most notably, Moody has a solid understanding of where to be on the floor. His spacial awareness led to open 3-pointers, in which he made 46.2 percent of his attempts.
His feel for the game was apparent in a number of ways. Whether it be quick swing passes, touch passes to open cutters, or diving to the hoop for a pair of electric putbacks in his latest game against the Portland Trail Blazers — Moody made sure his fingerprints were all over the court during his playing time.
wayyyyyy up pic.twitter.com/nAIYB5bWh9
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 16, 2021
Energy is something Moody can provide a lot of. For a Dubs team that seems to grow stronger after every made 3-pointer and hustle plays, Moody is going to be a fan favorite in no time.
Capitalizing on his open looks and learning the ropes of the game will be key for Moody. Taking natural steps towards being a consistent shooter and filling in as an occasional ball handler will help him eat up more minutes towards the back half of his rookie season.
More importantly, Moody needs to use his length to disrupt opponents on defense. He did this a bit in the preseason, recording 1.0 steals per game in his short amount of time on the floor. Playing the passing lanes and contesting perimeter shots are all points of emphasis for the rook.
Overall, Moody did about all he could with the opportunity in front of him. He was timid at first, as should be expected. But, it was obvious once the offense began flowing, Moody had no problem finding his niche and being in a position to help his team win.