Hours after a report surfaced about Moses Moody’s ever-changing role, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reiterated his support for the third-year guard.
“I’ve been impressed with him since the first day he arrived here,” Kerr said before Thursday night’s game against the Nuggets at Chase Center. “His maturity. His work ethic. His awareness. So, he knows he’s just got to stay ready. Things have turned in the opposite direction from Moses over the last week or so, just because we’re experimenting with different combinations, different lineups.
“We’re trying to put some people together. Avoid putting other people together. So it’s been a complicated season. Right now, he’s just a victim of the numbers and the direction we’ve decided to go, but I know how professional he is. I know Moses will stay ready, and when he gets his chance, he’ll be ready for it.”
KRON (Channel 4) sports director Jason Dumas reported Thursday afternoon that Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy has been “directly asked about the organization’s plan” for Moody “with the intention of finding him a more consistent role.” During a later radio appearance, Dumas offered more details, explaining that his report came from “the people around Moses.”
“They’re frustrated with the lack of having a role and the lack of having consistency,” Dumas said. “He’s in the rotation one day, and he’s out of the rotation. For lack of a better term, he almost seems like the sacrificial lamb, so to speak. Whenever there’s a (rotational) logjam, he’s going to be the guy that falls out.
“It’s understandable that someone in his position, with a lot of talent, young, would be frustrated and would want a clear path to playing time, whether it be here or somewhere else.”
Thursday’s report amplified speculation that Moody, 21, could be shopped closer to the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Though his per-game averages in points (8.2), rebounds (3.2) and steals (0.7) are up significantly from last season, he continues to yo-yo in and out of the rotation.
The latest example came after Moody posted 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting with two blocks, three rebounds and a team-high plus-10 in nearly 13 minutes off the bench in a Dec. 28 loss to Miami, he didn’t play in the next two games.
