What is going on with the young wing?
The Golden State Warriors may have dropped 12 of their last 16 games and currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference, but they can’t attribute their struggles to a wave of injuries over the past few weeks.
While De’Anthony Melton’s season-ending injury might have marked a turning point, the Warriors have largely avoided long-term injuries in their first 31 games. Most of their current injury concerns involve veterans Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who have both been managing minor issues lately.
The situation with Moses Moody’s knee injury is becoming increasingly concerning. Although he has had a limited role in Steve Kerr’s rotation, Moody has been dealing with this ongoing issue, which began when he left the December 6 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after just six minutes.
He played only five minutes in the first half of the December 8 game against the Timberwolves before exiting again, subsequently missing the next four contests. Since then, Moody’s availability has fluctuated; he scored three points in 10 minutes against the Indiana Pacers but did not play on Christmas against the Los Angeles Lakers.
He returned to the lineup in Friday’s loss to the L.A. Clippers, where he logged over 24 minutes and recorded 11 points, two rebounds, and three steals on 4-of-11 shooting. However, he was listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Phoenix Suns due to left knee injury management, while fellow fourth-year lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga stepped up to lead the Warriors to a 109-105 win.
This has been a frustrating time for Moody, who still hasn’t established himself as a consistent rotation player despite signing a three-year, $ 37 million extension with Golden State just before the season. His performance has declined compared to last year, with him averaging 7.4 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 35.2% from beyond the arc in 25 games this season.
Additionally, this troubling knee injury is negatively impacting Moody’s trade value. While trading him would be challenging due to the poison pill provision, it remains an option the Warriors could consider before the February 6 trade deadline.
For now, there’s still a chance for Moody to earn more consistent rotation minutes, as Lindy Waters III played nearly 14 minutes that could have been given to Moody had he been available on Saturday.
Leave a Reply