That was the opinion of head coach Steve Kerr after Moses Moody had another outstanding performance in the Golden State Warriors’ 109-106 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on Friday night.
Given that Kerr has not always regarded Moody as such in the past, this was a four-word remark that all supporters hoped to hear. There has long been a stark disparity in how the young wing was perceived internally and externally, but right now it feels as near as we’ve ever been to Kerr unleashing the shackles on Moody in the way fans have longed for.
Moses Moody is causing rotation headaches for Steve Kerr and the Warriors
It should be noted, however, that the term “rotational player” comes with a large asterisk. It was part of a bigger answer from Kerr, who noted that he had 12 rotating players and that the Golden State roster is the deepest he has ever coached.
“Like I said we’ve got 12 of them (rotation players). We have a lot of difficult decisions to make next week,” Kerr said. “What I’ve learned in this league — you don’t worry about it until you have to.”
"Moses is a rotational player."
Kerr on where Moody's role stands ahead of the Warriors' season opener pic.twitter.com/KI8JN3wj0w
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) October 12, 2024
After being perhaps the Warriors’ finest performer in last Saturday’s triumph over the Los Angeles Clippers, Moody was given a starting spot against the Kings on Friday night. The fourth-year lottery pick made the most of his opportunity, scoring a game-high 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 7-of-8 from the free throw line in 25 minutes.
While Kerr did not fully commit to Moody being part of the rotation in the season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers, fan discontent would reach new heights if he did not receive at least 15-20 minutes to begin the regular season.
Moody is playing with confidence and clarity, despite the fact that his role has been so unpredictable in his first three seasons. The 22-year-old strikes a wonderful mix between being proactive and seizing the opportunity, while not overworking himself to the point where he and the team suffer.
The numbers back it up as well. Moody’s 14.7 points per game now leads Golden State in preseason scoring, but more importantly, he’s a team-high +22 over the first three games, demonstrating that his individual performance is also influencing winning.
Andrew Wiggins’ return is going to complicate matters and makes it difficult to imagine a starting job for Moody, though there’s certainly hope that Kerr’s comments on Friday are the start of him demonstrating a new level of belief in an under-utilized talent.
