Moses Moody's devastating knee injury on Monday night will give the Golden State Warriors even more to think about in the offseason, and it also leaves another young player as even more important to the franchise's success over the next 12 months.
Moody's return from a 10-game absence in Dallas left Gui Santos out of the starting lineup for just the second time in the past 21 games, but the 23-year-old's injury makes the Brazilian forward more crucial than he already was.
Moses Moody injury puts big responsibility on Gui Santos
Santos had already been arguably the biggest beneficiary and positive from Jimmy Butler's torn ACL in January, elevating from limited-minute hustle role player to genuine offensive threat and one of Golden State's most important players.
With Butler likely to miss half of next season and the start of Moody's campaign also surely in some doubt, there's even more responsibility now on Santos to continue his rise and further develop his game on both ends of the floor.
Despite his move back to the bench against the Mavericks, Santos still played over 35 minutes -- the third-most of any Warrior player behind Brandin Podziemski and Draymond Green. The young forward stuffed the box score again with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, shooting 5-of-10 from the floor in the 137-101 victory.
Santos had 13 points in the second-half alone, helping Golden State overcome a double-digit and force overtime with some beautful spin moves and finishes at the rim which are becoming a patented part of his game.
The former 55th overall pick has now scored in double figures in 22 of his past 25 games, and is averaging 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists during this period on over 50% shooting from the floor.
Golden State roster face more uncertainty after Moses Moody injury
The Warriors only have six fully contracted players for next season, already making for some huge decisions to be made when it comes to free agency and potential trades in the offseason. Considering two of those six players are Butler and Moody, the pressure and intrigue will only amplify.
Santos too is one of those six players, having been rewarded for his recent form with a three-year, $15 million contract extension. If there's one silver lining to take out of the Moody injury, it's that the Santos contract is sure to look even more valuable going forward.