The Golden State Warriors' mission for the early portions of the regular season are already clear— stay afloat and find chemistry until Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody can hopefully bolster the rotation.
Not everything is lost without them. Stephen Curry is still on the roster, and Yaxel Lendeborg seems slated to be a major addition in the frontcourt for a team that needs a burst of energy on both ends of the floor. If the spacing and configurations work out with Kristaps Porzingis and everyone can stay healthy until the All-Star Break, there's a world where this team hasn't dug itself an inescapable hole by mid-season.
But any chance this team has of truly being disruptive in the postseason rests on the returns of Butler and Moody. Butler, who tore his ACL last January, will need some time to acclimate even upon his return. Moody, who tore his patellar tendon shortly after Butler's injury, will need the same.
The impetus for Butler's return is clear— the Warriors desperately need offensive load-bearers alongside Curry. But assuming Butler is able to make an impact upon his return, Moody's return as a 3-and-D wing could be the saving grace this Warriors team desperately needs.
Jimmy Butler's return is more important— but let's not ignore Moses Moody
Any optimistic path for Golden State likely requires Butler to return around mid-season and be consistently putting up 15+ point performances by the time the Warriors reach the Play-In Tournament.
But even that optimistic path doesn't fully work without Moody.
A combination of Butler, Lendeborg, and De'Anthony Melton at the 4, 3, and 2 should work in theory— if Lendeborg can hit his perimeter shots from early on in his rookie campaign. But tossing a defender and a scorer of Moody's caliber in there, whether that's in the starting lineup or as an energetic ball-handler and connective passer of the bench, changes the complexion of that configuration entirely.
Prior to his injury, Moody was in the midst of a career year. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 40.1% from beyond the arc across the 60 games he appeared in.
Marcus Thompson II at The Athletic reported earlier this month that Moody is targeting a September return to on-court activity. He would still be a long ways off from returning to live action, but that's a highly encouraging sign. A torn patellar tendon can be a career-disrupting injury, and to see Moody ready to start working out just over six months after his tear is massive. It's too early to speculate on when his first appearance of 2026-27 may come, but it seems like we're temporarily out of the woods in terms of him missing the entire season.
Butler obviously has a larger role to play, and his return will be more integral to the shape of the Warriors' rotation.
But if this roster comes together in the way the Warriors' brass has envisioned, adding a shooter and defender of Moody's caliber to the mix down the stretch of the season could be the spark that helps them make a push for a playoff berth. While Melton and Podziemski can provide valuable minutes at the two-spot, bringing Moody into the fold gives Golden State ample versatility in their rotations. They can pair Butler and Moody with Melton to maximize their defense and agility, Draymond Green and Butler with Moody for established chemistry, or Lendeborg and Moody with Melton for a versatile two-way trio.
This is all wishful thinking— but such a storyline is feeling more and more realistic the closer we get to the season.
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