We're now less than one month away from the Golden State Warriors' upcoming season. When the season tips off, Steve Kerr and his coaching staff are going to need to be able to rely on Moses Moody as a reliable rotation player.
We've certainly already seen Moses make quite a bit of progress in his development over the last couple of years. Last season, he played a career-high 22.3 minutes per night and nearly averaged double figures in scoring for the first time in his career.
And yet, there remain some concerns about his reliability on a team that has so much pressure weighing on its shoulders in the midst of what would appear to be the final days of Stephen Curry's career. There are some among the Warriors' fanbase that would like to see him in an even bigger role this coming year, while others remain more skeptical of his continued progression.
Among the biggest concerns when talking about Moody's game would have to issues in confidence, times of passivity offensively, and a limited ability to create his own shot. These are the main reasons Warriors fans have doubt in Moses being a true ceiling-raiser for the Warriors this coming season.
It's fair to say Moody is going to have to improve in these areas if he's going to earn the complete trust of Kerr and the staff. We know that during his tenure as Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr has routinely favored players who demonstrate a high basketball IQ, who can make quick decisions that impact winning and do more than just score the basketball.
Moses Moody must continue his progression
Moody has had flashes of performing well in all these areas, but his inconsistency and lack of ability to generate his own high-level looks remain reasons for skepticism. This whole topic is an issue of whether he can consistently up his level of play enough to be a true needle-mover for a Golden State squad competing for a top playoff seed and a championship.
If Moses doesn't earn some consistent minutes early in the season, there's going to be a risk of stagnation. Falling a little bit further down Kerr's pecking order than expected in October would have the potential for this situation to get messier than it needs to be.
Overall, Moody can avoid potential hiccups and further questions about his role by coming into camp healthy. If he shows up and consistently performs in scrimmages and preseason games, he'll have a chance to silence these conversations.
What will that look like for him? I would say probably taking on tough assignments and being versatile defensively, while showing an overall mental toughness and being decisive offensively, pushing to expand shot creation on occasion.
There's a world where Moses shows up in a big way early and becomes a real factor for this team in the coming season. He's just going to have to show up early and often on such a veteran-laden roster.