2 winners and 2 losers from the Golden State Warriors final preseason game
1. Moses Moody
After just seven minutes against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, and completely out of the rotation in the first-half on Friday, Moses Moody needed to provide Steve Kerr with a reminder of his capability.
That he did. The 21-year-old ended the game as the Warriors leading scorer, finishing with 18 points on an efficient 7-11 shooting and 4-6 from three-point range. Moody’s shooting is going from strength-to-strength, and there’s enough of a sample size now to suggest he can shoot 40%+ from deep this season.
The former lottery pick made 12 of his 22 threes (54.5%) during the preseason, having previously made 59.1% during the 2023 playoffs. Moody’s limited opportunity over the last two games has to be a little perplexing given his form across the five-game preseason, with the numbers suggesting he should be a consistent 15+ minute per game role player.
Moody’s hardly limited to being a catch-and-shoot type either, having showcased some strong moves to the rim and a couple of pull up midranges in recent games. His defense is still in the developing stage, but he’s a strong rebounder and generally a steady decision maker.
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2. Dario Saric
From the moment the Warriors acquired him in free agency, many understood the value Dario Saric was about to provide Golden State. That’s only been confirmed over preseason, with the Croatian’s best performance coming against the Spurs.
Saric finished with 17 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal in just 21 minutes, shooting 6-8 from the floor including 2-4 from three-point range. The combination he has with Chris Paul from their time with the Suns has been on full display, with the pair lethal in pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop situations.
The 29-year-old’s offensive skillset is perfect in the Warrior system — he can make passes from all over the floor, can shoot the ball from deep, has the capacity to put the ball on the floor and attack closeouts, and has a crafty ability to finish around the rim.
All in all his preseason form has confirmed the potential for Golden State to utilize him more effectively than almost all of his previous NBA teams. The defense may be a slight worry, but it’s not disastrous and he’ll usually be coming up against backup big men rather than the league’s elite.