Moses Moody Deserves More Minutes: Why the Warriors Should Give Him a Bigger Role
After four straight losses, the Golden State Warriors need to make some key adjustments, and giving Moses Moody more playing time should be at the top of that list. Moody has been a bit of a victim to Steve Kerr’s rotations. Despite earning an extension and showing flashes of his potential, his minutes have remained limited, and his role hasn’t grown as expected. It’s time for the Warriors to give him a bigger opportunity.
It’s not just about the fact that the fourth-year guard is locked in for the next three years. Sometimes, players earn extensions, but their actual play doesn’t always justify the minutes they get. What’s interesting with Moody, though, is that whenever he does get on the court, he makes an impact. In just 15.9 minutes per game, Moody is averaging 7.7 points, shooting 44.3% from the field and 38.8% from three. That kind of production in such limited and inconsistent time can’t be ignored.
Apparently, Steve Kerr can ignore it. In the recent loss to the Nets, Moody was on fire in the first half, putting up 15 points along with a steal and a block. Kerr quickly put him out, giving him only two minutes of play in the entire second half. When the Warriors start to build momentum, Kerr tends to take key players out. These questionable decisions are only adding to the team's struggles and contributing to their recent losses.
Moody is a well-rounded player — he's great at closing out and moving off the ball, plus he has a strong all-around game with solid passing and defense. At just 22, he's already made history as the fourth youngest player in NBA history to win a title. In the same season, he also became the youngest Warrior ever to score 30+ points in a game. His resume shows a player with immense potential, but his minutes haven’t reflected that. With numbers like that, he’s shown he can perform when it matters most. It’s time for him to get more consistent minutes, especially when other players in similar roles aren’t offering much more. If the Warriors want to turn things around, they may want to consider giving Moody more time to show what he can do.
Both Lindy Waters III and Brandin Podziemski have been starting at times. Truthfully, Podziemski hasn’t been playing well enough to earn this kind of loyalty when it comes to consistent minutes. What does Moody have to do to get in the starting lineup like Podziemski or even more so, Waters? What does he have to do to simply earn more consistent minutes? Does he need to hit 100 threes and hold LeBron James to zero points to become a starter, or are the expectations for him that much higher? Out of all the young talents, Moody always seems to draw the short end of the stick, fighting for minutes year after year.
In the most recent loss to the Suns, Pat Spencer played eight minutes while Moody got just three — only a minute over the cooking duration of microwave popcorn. In no world should Spencer be subbed in before Moody or even finish the game with more minutes. It's tough to make sense of these decisions, especially when Moody has proven he can deliver when given the chance. With Golden State’s recent losing streak, something clearly isn’t working, and maybe a simple adjustment like trusting Moody a little more could help unlock his potential and, better yet, help the Warriors start winning again.
In the past, the Warriors have been praised for their ability to develop young players in-house. All three core players who helped build the winning culture were drafted and developed to become some of the top players in the league. While there was a lot of success in the past, it seems there’s been some struggle recently, and it’s not the players' fault. Players like Moody simply don’t get the opportunity to prove themselves. There are still plenty of games left this season, and hopefully, with 61 games remaining, he can get more minutes to showcase his potential.
