Moses Moody may have finally hit his stride. During the first few seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors, the young wing had plenty of ups and downs that were often tied to his ability to get playing time from coach Steve Kerr.
However, this season, and more specifically since the Jimmy Butler trade, it seems like Moody has found a comfortable spot in the starting lineup. The Moses Moody stats speak for themselves -- the Warriors are now a shocking 9-0 in games that he starts, and recently he is playing some of the best basketball Warriors fans have seen from him yet.
Moses Moody and the Warriors are on the improve
Moody has been on a tear over the last few games, having scored in double digits in eight of his last nine games played. He is still averaging under 10 points a game on the season, but is averaging 14.6 points per game over his last five. He looks more comfortable than ever, and the game is obviously starting to slow down for the fourth-year wing.
His three-point shot also looks better than it ever has before. Moody is shooting a career-high 38.2% from beyond the arc on a career-high 4.5 attempts per game. This is huge for Moody who has always been able to impact the game through solid defense, hustle and occasional spurts of scoring. However, having a consistent three-point shot that he can make at volume means you just can’t keep him off the floor.
The new Golden State starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler, Moody, and Draymond Green seems to be working very well. The Warriors have won three in a row with that lineup, and Kerr seems to be happy to continue using it.
This starting lineup being only used for three games just shows how shocking the Warriors’ undefeated record with Moody starting is, with the six others coming prior to the Jimmy Butler era, as Golden State made a hot start to the season.
Moody starting is obviously not the sole reason for the Warriors' current success, but the correlation is hard to ignore. Moody’s size, defense and floor spacing have been key to the Warriors ability to start small with Green at the center position.
Hopefully Moody can keep his position in the starting lineup despite the return of Jonathan Kuminga. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Moody has earned himself the opportunity to show his true potential for more than just a few weeks as an injury replacement.