The Golden State Warriors are having an exodus on the wing. Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga are both members of the Atlanta Hawks, and Jimmy Butler is out for the season with a torn ACL. Enter, Moses Moody.
Okay, I suppose Moses Moody has already "entered," as he is averaging about 25 minutes per game and averaging 11.1 points per game this year. But lost amid the Warriors / Hawks trade from earlier this week is the Warriors subtly giving a vote of confidence to Moody, who is now essentially the only wing on this roster who will get regular run every night.
On Thursday, in his first game as the Warriors' primary wing option, Moody scored... Six points. That's not quite the production the Warriors will want from him going forward, but he did also grab eight rebounds and locked up Dillon Brooks on the final possession of the game, leading to a thrilling Warriors win.
Going forward, though, Moody will be asked to do a little more as an offensive weapon. Can he fulfill the team's clear trust in his abilities?
Warriors give vote of confidence to Moses Moody after Porzingis trade
Neither Hield nor Kuminga was going to be on this team much longer, so this almost feels like a de facto vote of confidence. But there were plenty of other wings reportedly available at this deadline, and the Warriors deciding not to pursue any of them (or trying and failing) means a bigger load will now be on Moody's shoulders.
He's already stepped up in his role this year; he's shooting over 40% from 3-point range, and that 11.1 points per game is a career high. He's not much of a factor from the midrange, but if that 3-point clip can stay around 38 percent with much higher volume — which will probably be required from him now — then I think everyone would be content.
Moody is currently in the first year of a three-year contract with the Warriors. If he keeps developing into the two-way wing he has the tools to become, then he'll stick around the Warriors much longer than that. Based on the moves (and lack of moves) the decision-makers made before the deadline, it seems like they all believe in Moody to do just that.