As the Golden State Warriors enter their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets, they will face the first true test of the viability of their newest iteration as championship contenders.
While, following their blockbuster acquisition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, the Warriors have played like one of the best teams in the NBA, a short playoff run could negate all of that, leaving the front office's heads spinning in an attempt to maximize the championship window of their veteran core.
However, an underrated factor in this consideration is Moses Moody, Golden State's fourth-year forward, as his performance will not only be vital to the series at hand but to the team's future plans as a whole.
Moses Moody's playoff performance could change Warriors' franchise plans moving forward
Moody, who was selected 14th overall by the Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft, has had his breakout season this year, averaging 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists through 74 games.
Following the Butler trade, which saw NBA champion Andrew Wiggins shipped to the Miami Heat, Moody was called upon to enter the starting lineup, pairing with Butler in the frontcourt and using his defensive ability and 3-point shot to boost the team on both ends of the floor.
In January and February, Moody shot 39.8% from beyond the arc, scoring 11.4 points in 24.2 minutes per game.
However, since entering the starting lineup, Moody's 3-point shot, apart from an initial spurt of excellence, has largely struggled. In March and April, Moody has shot 34.9% on 3-point shots, even going one-for-four in Golden State's do-or-die play-in game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
With how much of Houston's focus will be shifted onto Stephen Curry in their upcoming matchup, the Warriors' peripheral shooters, including Moody, will need to make their shots in order to propel the team's offense to victory.
If Moody's slump continues through the postseason, it could cause Golden State to re-evaluate their roster as they attempt to maximize the three-year championship window they have set for themselves with the Butler trade.
While Moody, who is on his first year of a three-year, $37.5 million contract extension, has helped boost the starting lineup this season, the franchise could determine that they must move Moody back to bench and pursue a different option to complete the starting lineup.
This would likely come in the form of shifting Draymond Green, who has been playing center for the Warriors for much of this season, back to his natural position, resulting in Butler moving to small forward and Moody being pushed back to the bench.
Golden State would then need to evaluate their options at the center position. While youngsters Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis have both shown flashes of promise, the Warriors are certainly in win-now mode, and they may need to pursue external alternatives in such a scenario.
Therefore, Golden State desperately needs to see what they have in Moody during this playoff run, and a failure to return to his shooting form could have massive implications for the Warriors' upcoming offseason.