SAN FRANCISCO — Andrew Wiggins has returned to the Golden State Warriors, likely to re-take his normal place in the starting lineup for Wednesday's matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks. While that means Moses Moody is inevitably headed back to the bench, Wiggins' availability, thankfully, won't banish the third-year wing out of Golden State's regular rotation altogether.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Steve Kerr stressed that Moody will “continue to get time” going forward despite the injury and absence-plagued Warriors finally reaching full-strength.
“Moses will continue to get time. He’s earned it,” Kerr said. “He’s really just been so professional about everything since the day he walked into this building 2 and-a-half years ago. He’s a pro. So I’m excited to continue to get him some minutes.”
Who will get pushed out of the Warriors' rotation with Andrew Wiggins back?
Moses Moody started all four games on the Warriors' road trip during Wiggins' leave, impressing coaches and teammates alike with his two-way impact after previously being out of the game-by-game rotation. He averaged 12 points, four rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 50% overall and 40% from deep during the Dubs' 3-1 Eastern Conference swing, making life hard on the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson and Toronto Raptors' Immanuel Quickly when tasked with serving as Golden State's top point-of-attack defender.
Moody's ability to stretch the floor and make plays in help defense was always his surest path to consistent minutes in 2023-24. That he's clearly taken strides as an on-ball defender and two-to-three dribble attacker has made it impossible for Kerr to leave Moody on the bench as the season continues, Golden State's glut of playable wings be damned.
“He knows the league better. He understands personnel, he understands angles, how to guard people on the ball, off the ball,” Kerr said of Moody's growth. “All that stuff for young players, it takes time to learn and the learning never stops. You’re constantly having to get to know the new players in the league and how teams are playing, what actions they’re running. He’s very well-prepared for everything that comes his way.”
What Kerr didn't specify on Tuesday was who stands to be the latest victim of his team's rotational numbers crunch. Dario Saric is the most obvious candidate, especially after he didn't play in the second half of the Dubs' impressive victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Golden State has recently excised lineups featuring Saric at center, too, his most recent runs coming alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis up front in the second unit.
Is making Moody a regular member of the rotation as simple as giving him all of Saric's minutes? Not quite. Kerr has maintained throughout the season that he'd much prefer to play a 10-man rotation, and swapping Saric out for Moody would still leave the Warriors one player over that threshold.
Don't expect Moody to be on that proverbial lineup chopping block, though. Save matchups against teams like the Bucks (at least with a healthy Giannis Antetokounmpo, who may not play on Wednesday due to an Achilles injury), Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and maybe the Los Angeles Lakers, Jackson-Davis or Kevon Looney seem at greatest risk of shifting into an end-of-bench role. There's also the possibility Kerr keeps both centers in the rotation behind Draymond Green, splitting some 15 minutes between them as he sees fit based on single-game circumstances.
Breathe a sigh of relief either way, Dub Nation. Moses Moody's nightly spot in the lineup finally seems cemented.
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