Golden State Warriors prove they're well built to cover absence of former All-Star

If a team all of a sudden loses a recent All-Star from their lineup, they're likely to struggle in filling the hole the departure of that player creates. But the Golden State Warriors are as well built as anyone to overcome such an absence, such is the depth on their roster.

In fairness, the form of Andrew Wiggins hasn't been that of an All-Star player this season anyway. Yet regardless, the veteran forward had lifted his production in recent weeks and has been a crucial part of the Warriors' resurgence back into the playoff picture.

Led primarily by Moses Moody, the Golden State Warriors are proving they have enough to cover the absence of Andrew Wiggins

Thursday's meeting with the New York Knicks was Wiggins' second-straight absence due to personal reasons, with Golden State having won both games by a comfortable 11 points. The franchise's roster depth has often been a hindrance to the team this season, but it does mean they're well placed to cover Wiggins' current departure.

Nothing signifies that more than Moses Moody, the third-year wing who was completely out of the rotation against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Wiggins' absence has catapulted the 21-year-old into a starting spot, and to the surprise of very few, Moody has performed more than admirably.

The boxscore may have only shown Moody finishing with eight points and four rebounds on 3-of-9 shooting, but it didn't indicate his impressive defensive display against the Knicks, particularly in the fourth-quarter as New York threatened a comeback win.

Moody played over 25 minutes, his most since December 6 against the Portland Trail Blazers. He was a game-high +23 in the 110-99 victory, with head coach Steve Kerr noting the former lottery pick's defense during the postgame.

"I thought Moses Moody really stood out tonight. His defense on Brunson, I thought he did a great job of defending without fouling, just trying to make things difficult."

- Steve Kerr

Between Moody and Gary Payton II, not to mention the future Hall-of-Fame bench duo of Chris Paul and Klay Thompson, the Warriors have the pieces to cover for Wiggins without feeling too much of a negative impact.

The win was Golden State's seventh-consecutive road victory, their 12th win in the last 15 games overall, and now gives them a 6-1 record in games that Wiggins has missed so far this season.