Two games and two victories for the Warriors without Andrew Wiggins. Canadian winger absent for personal reasons, Steve Kerr released Moses Moody from the fridge to replace him in the starting five. The operation has been successful so far, a little more so after the performance of the 14th choice of the 2021 Draft on Thursday in New York. Responsible for limiting the impact of Jalen Brunson, Moses Moody drew praise from his teammates and his coach.
If his evening stats are not obvious (8 points to 0/5 at 3-points), his impact on the match was notable with the Warriors' best +/- with +23 in just over 25 minutes. And if Jalen Brunson scored his 27 points, like his annual average, it was an average of 11/25 shooting, accompanied by 4 lost balls. The All-Star leader notably suffered against the stature of Moses Moody, who limited him to 1/5 shooting while stealing two balls.
“The key” to victory for Steve Kerr
“ Moses was huge » summed up Stephen Curry. “ When “Wiggs” is absent from the rotation, someone with defensive qualities obviously needs to come into play. When we see how well he's playing this season… So okay Brunson is going to do his stats, but Moses made him suffer to get there. It's the kind of little things a player like Moses can do to help change the course of a match and take advantage of the opportunity he has in Andrew's absence. »
Stephen Curry added that Steve Kerr's very first reaction when he arrived in the locker room after the match was to congratulate Moses Moody, congratulations reiterated in front of the media Next.
“ Our defense was top notch tonight, Moses really stood out. His defense on Brunson was remarkable. He managed to contain him without making any mistakes, making his life as difficult as possible. Jalen is a great player and can usually find all the positions he wants. That was the key. »
Not bad for a player who only took part in three of the Warriors' twelve games in January, ahead of him in the rotation by Lester Quinones, although he “only” signed a “two-way contract”.
“ This is real life » philosophized the person concerned. “ Lots of things are happening. You must keep a cool head and control your emotions. All my friends are in this situation after leaving university, trying to figure out what life has to offer. Everyone faces different challenges. Who am I to believe that I would have a clear path to my goals? This is simply how it should be. »
From the back of the X-factor bench
Moses Moody reminded Golden State that he knew how to be valuable, as he has been in the past, until the playoffs, he who notably had a real role coming off the bench against the Lakers in the semi-final of conference. With this victory against the Knicks, the Warriors end February with the best record in the Western Conference (11 wins – 3 losses) while they had the busiest schedule in the entire league over the period.
Big time block.
Big time bucket.@NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/JNEa2q7mth
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 1, 2024
“ It's not over for me » recalled Steve Kerr, while his men are now more ahead of 11th, Utah, than they are behind on 5th, Phoenix. “ We want to win every game, but also try to strengthen our future as a franchise. »
“ We needed players to take over and be solid, and that's what they're doing. » added Stephen Curry about Moses Moody, but also Jonathan Kuminga, once again decisive on Thursday (25 points, 8 rebounds). “We have to string together this kind of performance collectively. This does not mean that we will win every time, but that we have this identity. That's what I always say: 'Are we forging our identity?' and I think that's the case. »
The Warriors can at least count on a solid relay as long as Andrew Wiggins is out. In six games with Moses Moody starting, they won five times.
| Moses Moody | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 52 | 12 | 43.7 | 36.4 | 77.8 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 4.4 |
| 2022-23 | GOS | 63 | 13 | 47.6 | 36.3 | 69.8 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 4.8 |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 43 | 17 | 46.6 | 35.4 | 79.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 7.9 |
| Total | 158 | 14 | 46.2 | 36.0 | 75.7 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 5.5 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
