Jonathan Kuminga’s DNP against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday may have been the biggest rotation talking point from the Golden State Warriors’ recent back-to-back, but it was also a tough week for fellow 2021 lottery pick Moses Moody who lost his starting role.
Moody’s inconsistent form and role has been a problem over recent weeks, and also subsequently makes it hard to evaluate his true worth to the Warriors and whether he could even be involved in a mid-season move before the trade deadline.
Warriors have a problem evaluating Moses Moody’s trade candidacy
At his best, Moody is a 40%+ 3-point shooter who also has the size and length to be disruptive defensively. When playing at that level, the fifth-year wing is a valued starter which, combined with a team-friendly three-year, $37.5 million contract, makes him someone Golden State should keep at all costs.
However, Moody’s also had periods of cold shooting this season, and has struggled to become the effective point-of-attack defender the Warriors need. In his five games prior to the weekend’s back-to-back, Moody averaged 10.4 points on 34.6% shooting from the floor and 26.5% from 3-point range.
As a result, the 23-year-old was demoted from the starting lineup against the Cavaliers and Bulls, with Buddy Hield preferred despite his own underwhelming start the season. Perhaps Steve Kerr just wanted to get more movement shooting out there without Stephen Curry, but even Will Richard’s retained starting role over Moody is incredibly notable.
Moody was serviceable in his 19-20 minutes off the bench in both games, going for a combined 20 points and six rebounds on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor and 4-of-8 from 3-point range. They weren’t statement performances that screamed a return to the starting lineup, but perhaps the return of Curry and Draymond Green brings a rejig that elevates Moody back into the mix.
Right now the Warriors have three veteran stars in Curry, Green and Jimmy Butler, followed by a host of rotation players that almost require mix-and-matching on a game-by-game basis. The fact Moody hasn’t risen above that into a guaranteed fourth or fifth starter is disappointing, and also signifies the sort of issues Golden State have faced this season.
The front office now needs to assess whether Moody is indeed one of their four or five best players, or whether his $11.6 million salary for this season could actually be combined with others (namely Kuminga) to upgrade the roster and improve the Warriors’ championship credentials before the trade deadline.