When you look at any iteration of a Golden State Warriors starting lineup that fans or analysts are concocting right now, few if any are going to mention young wing Moses Moody.
In fact, given the uncertainty around the roster right now and Moody's sharp decline in form to end the season, he and his new three-year, $37.5 million contract are being more discussed as a potential trade chip rather than a starting candidate for the Warriors next season.
However, that should probably change given Moody has revealed just to what extent he was impacted by a thumb injury late in the season.
Moses Moody could be a starting candidate again next season
In a recent interview with Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, Moody revealed the discomfort he faced with a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) which he had surgery on shortly after Golden State's playoff elimination.
“I had to shoot with four fingers; I couldn't grab the ball. I didn't know that it was torn. If I knew that, then that might have been different," Moody said. "And then it was that stretch when we were in that sprint to the playoffs. We were trying to get there. We were winning. Stuff was going good for us, so I wasn’t going to stop.”
Moody may have kept playing, but there's no doubt about the impact of the injury after also revealing that he sustained it during a game on March 18 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The numbers speak for themselves before and after that date. In the 14-straight games where Moody was a starter before the injury, he averaged 12.8 points and 3.3 rebounds on 49.2% shooting from the floor and 43.3% from 3-point range on nearly five attempts per game.
In the 13 games to close the regular season after the injury, Moody averaged 9.0 points and 2.7 rebounds on 38.5% from the floor and 31.1% from beyond the arc. The struggles continued in the playoffs where the former 14th overall pick shot averaged 7.1 points on 35% shooting and 33.3% from deep, having lost his starting role in the process.
Given the growth we saw in Moody's game before the injury, and how good of a team Golden State became during this period, the injury revelation should reduce any chance of him being traded this offseason unless Golden State can get something really valuable in return.
In fact, the conversation should perhaps be focused more on Moody's role next season, and whether he could actually regain a starting spot for Steve Kerr. Given the need for shooting around Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, along with the requirement for point-of-attack defense, it's not impossible to envision Moody as a starter as surprising as it would be for many right now.