The Golden State Warriors' core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green will attempt to lead the franchise to its eighth NBA championship victory in 2025-26, but the aging trio must receive a boost of energy from a few youthful teammates along the way.
While their rising combo-forward Jonathan Kuminga stole the show this past summer thanks to a seemingly never-ending restricted free agency stalemate, the Warriors' former No. 14 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and 2022 NBA champion Moses Moody has a chance to steal back some of the spotlight this season.
The 23-year-old forward struggled to stick in the Warriors' rotation at a consistent rate until the latter part of the 2024-25 campaign, but a recent update has indicated that the versatile wing could be ready to assert himself as an integral piece of potential title contender in Golden State.
"A point of emphasis offensively for Moody is to be the pick-and-roll guy more, as in the one setting the screen to play out of the pocket and swing the ball or hit open shots," NBC Sports' Dalton Johnson wrote Sunday.
"The Warriors are looking for more offensive versatility out of someone they believe can contribute at multiple positions, which brings us to our next point."
"Point of attack is the name of the game for the Warriors’ defense, knowing the back is well protected between Butler, Green and (Al) Horford."
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"He had 18 games of multiple steals last season, and 14 came after the Butler trade. He slots into the 2, 3 and 4, and seems to have found his best role."
The former lottery pick has plenty of work to do if he wants to separate himself from the rest of the Warriors' key bench contributors, but he certainly has plenty of natural abilities that mesh well with the team's top-end talent.
For one, Moody is an active and competitive defender who can space the floor on the other side of the ball, as evidenced by his 0.8 steals figure and 37.4% shooting clip from three-point range last season, both career-best marks.
Additionally, the incoming fifth-year forward has displayed clear athletic gifts and an undying motor. If the Warriors need consistent defense from their wings, Moody's name could be the next one called upon to guard an opposing team's best forward if Butler is unavailable.
In 74 total appearances for Golden State in 2024-25, Moody contributed 9.8 points and 2.6 rebounds with a 114 defensive rating per 100 possessions in 22.3 minutes of action, but he'll be aiming to increase those figures and partially lead the team to another NBA title this year.
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