Moses Moody and the Golden State Warriors just can't catch a break this season. Steve Kerr told reporters before Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls that Moody will be sidelined for the entirety of his team's four-game road trip due to a calf strain.
“Huge loss,” Kerr said of Moody's absence. “He's been playing really well since he got back in the rotation and obviously with the injuries that we have, it's a big loss. Hopefully it's not too long and he can come back shortly after the trip because we need him.”
The team later announced that Moody sustained a Grade 1 (mild) strain in his left calf and will be re-evaluated in 10 days.
Moody suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Golden State's ugly loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, the second straight blowout defeat in which the Dubs heard boos from the Chase Center crowd. Fans certainly weren't levying their frustration toward Moody, though. The third-year wing scored 21 points against the Pelicans before exiting, a season-high output he'd just previously matched a few days earlier as the Warriors got “punched in the mouth” by the Toronto Raptors.
Moses Moody's absence looms large for Warriors on court, in front office
As much as he'll be missed on the floor, Moody's injury also ensures Golden State, down to 17-20, won't develop much more clarity and continuity with respect to viable lineup and player configurations before the February 8th trade deadline. Kerr has been trying to manufacture that consistency basically since 2023-24 tipped off.
Draymond Green's imminent return from indefinite suspension was supposed to be a crucial step toward the Warriors finding it, but existing injuries to Chris Paul and Gary Payton II effectively make that impossible. Moody's multi-week timeline toward a return only complicates it further, especially after he played some of the best basketball of his career while getting more playing time and a longer leash with Paul sidelined.
Expect Andrew Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski and Cory Joseph to see additional minutes while Moody is out. His status looms largest for how it could effect Golden State's approach at the trade deadline, though. Have the Warriors seen enough from Moody this season to want to keep him around past February 8th? Might teams who had burgeoning prior interest in him be scared off by Moody's upward trajectory being stopped in its tracks?
Golden State faced enough questions over the next few weeks before Moody going down. Kerr, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and other team powers that be only have more difficult answers to muster concerning the immediate present and long-term future now that he's out for an extended period.
Follow Us
Subscribe