When Steve Kerr sent him onto the field in the middle of the first quarter, there were inches in the opposite racket: Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid. Kevon Looney remained on the former, while new entrant Moses Moody took care of the second.
The Warriors guard had just replaced Gui Santos in the Californian racket. An unusual rotation for him, linked to having to compensate for the absence of Draymond Green. The latter, who had just missed three games in a row, left his partners after 3 minutes of play against the Wizards this weekend due to calf discomfort.
Since then, Kyle Anderson or Gui Santos have filled the power forward position in the five. Behind them, and in the absence of Jonathan Kuminga as well, Moses Moody is given responsibility. In Minnesota, he played 25 minutes and defended on Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle in sequence. Against the Wizards three days later, he played 29 minutes and still spent a lot of time inside.
“ Moses seems to really enjoy this position. It's his place. He is comfortable using his strength and ability to stretch the game “, summarizes Steve Kerr, adding: “ If Draymond is out for a little while, it's a good opportunity for Moses to play a lot at the 4 position. »
Stretch the game on offense
The coach seems to have appreciated the last two outings of his 22-year-old player who contributed 12 points (61.5% on shots including 56% from distance) and 3 rebounds on average in these matches. He compensates for his height deficit (1m96) against the tall giants thanks to his strong upper body.
“ You have to 'bumper' the guys, they have to feel my presence, especially as a small interior. I learned this from Loon “, notes Moses Moodyfor whom this replacement does not change “ not much. Defensively, it can change depending on the player I'm on. But in attack, there are often four of us on the outside. So 3 and 4 are interchangeable. »
This adjustment is, according to him, just the daily life of the NBA at work. “ Different things, different scenarios, some guys come in, some guys come out. We talked about that at the start of the year, about the depth of the team. This is where it shows. This is where we need it », he judges.
So Steve Kerr, who has had to slightly reduce his fullback's playing time this season, is not holding back. “ When he is position four, he can stretch the play and attack spaces. If he is 4, there are generally shooters around him in 1, 2 and 3. So there is room. He has always performed at his best in this role, where he essentially stands on the outside waiting to shoot, using his strength and size », Analyzes the coach.
With 39% 3-point success, his interim interior has never been so skillful in his career.
| 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 | 0.2 | 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 | 66 | 18 | 46.2 | 36.0 | 78.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 8.1 |
| 2024-25 | GOS | 34 | 17 | 43.3 | 39.2 | 74.5 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 8.0 |
| Total | 215 | 15 | 45.5 | 36.9 | 75.5 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 6.2 | |
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.
