3 teammates Moses Moody should surpass in the Golden State Warriors rotation

Moses Moody's place at the Golden State Warriors continues to permeate discussion, with the third-year wing once again out of Steve Kerr's rotation in Sunday's 119-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center.

Moody's minutes have been sporadic at best since the return of Gary Payton II -- over the last seven games, the 21-year-old has seen two DNP's, less than two minutes of garbage time against Denver, and three further games of less than nine minutes. His only meaningful opportunity came against the Lakers when Payton was sidelined by illness.

While unlikely to eventuate, there remains a path for Moses Moody to return to the Golden State Warriors rotation

The 2021 lottery pick is perhaps the biggest victim of Golden State's deep roster, having failed to garner a consistent rotation spot despite head coach Steve Kerr showing greater trust in other young players this season.

Kerr was asked directly about Moody's situation after the loss to the Nuggets, stating it's impossible to play 12 guys which is now the reality with Chris Paul returning against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.

""He's out of the loop right now, but that doesn't mean that's the case for the rest of the season. We've got a lot of guys who are healthy -- we're getting Chris [Paul] back at some point on this trip, so everybody has got to stay ready."

- Steve Kerr on Moses Moody

While Moody should get a chance with confirmation Andrew Wiggins will miss Tuesday's game through personal reasons, he doesn't want to be relying on teammate's absences in order to see playing time.

So, how exactly can Moody return to a full-strength rotation? Let's look at three players he should surpass in order to make it happen -

1. Lester Quinones

Fans' biggest gripe on Moody's lack of minutes has come because of Quinones' spot in the rotation over the last 13 games. While the young guard has often played well, the fact Kerr has been so willing to provide him opportunity is certainly a point of contention.

Did the Warriors need another guard in Paul's absence, or could have Brandin Podziemski taken even more responsibility to allow Moody into the picture? Quinones may provide a little more juice off the dribble, but probably not to the level that's warranted his place over Moody. Still, Golden State have produced a 10-3 record over recent weeks so it's difficult to be too critical.

Either way, Quinones is expected to be out of the rotation himself with Paul back in the fold. That means the whole Quinones v Moody debate is a fairly moot point so long as the Warriors remain fully healthy.