Moses Moody has a great opportunity with the Golden State Warriors next year

The Golden State Warriors drafted Moses Moody 14th overall in 2021 as a versatile wing and talented defender to eventually succeed Andre Iguodala in his role as the team’s ‘Swiss Army Knife.’

In his rookie season, Moody only averaged 4.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in around ten minutes of playing time. These numbers are not surprising considering how difficult it is for a rookie to earn playing time on a roster that already has its fair share of stars and solid role players.

We did see Moody play important minutes in the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, though. He even put up ten points in one game, and with the departure of several role players during the offseason, we will probably be seeing more of that next season.

Moses Moody has a great opportunity with the Golden State Warriors next year

Moody worked hard during the offseason and seems ready to take on more responsibility now. His game is rather quiet compared to that of some of his draft classmates, but the league should not sleep on Moses Moody. Out of the Warriors’ young talents, he appears to be the most developed.

The youngster is only 20 years old, but he is very mature for his age and already experienced the game at its highest level. Considering this, Moody was expected to play well in Summer league.

He did not just play well, though. Moody dominated the games that he appeared in and averaged 27.5 points. Kawhi Leonard is the only other NBA champion to average 25 points in Summer League.

The Warriors’ overall performance during Summer League was not too good, but the games are more about individual development than about winning, anyway. Moody played like he had something to prove, and he did. With several roles waiting to be filled on the Warriors’ roster, Moody had to show that he deserved those extra minutes of playing time.

In Summer League, Moody showed how versatile he is on offense. He finished at the rim, hit several jump shots, and made a decent amount of three-pointers. Moody is smart, aware, and patient on the court, which translated to him always being in the right spot and leaving defenders frustrated.

Against a defense that is inferior to what he will encounter in the NBA, Moody showed that he can be more than just a catch-and-shoot player. He also improved his off-ball movement, which will prove to be a valuable asset. During the regular season, it will not be the Warriors’ priority to put the ball in his hands, so he will have to work for every touch.

On the defensive end, Moody impressed as well. It looked like he might be ready to replace some of the excellent on-ball defense Gary Payton II took to Portland. Moreover, Moody is actually a more effective scorer than Payton. If he can translate his Summer League performance to a higher level, these attributes should earn Moody a spot in the rotation.

Moody looked NBA-ready during Summer League, especially in the first game. The Warriors lost, but Moody put up 34 points on 13 shots. He made 5-of-7 field goal attempts, 3-of-6 three-pointers, and 15-of-17 free throws.

The fact that Moody made it to the free throw line seventeen times showed his aggressiveness and ability to get into the paint. Besides that, Moody also added five rebounds and two blocks to his stat sheet.

Those 34 points are the third-most points a lottery pick scored in the last five years of Summer League. Only Donovan Mitchell (37 points in 2017) and Lonzo Ball (36 points in 2017) scored more.
Moses Moody has shown that, even though he is sometimes overlooked, he has serious star potential and will only continue to become better with more playing time and routine. Not only Warriors fans should be interested in his future development.