Why Steve Kerr Limited Moses Moody in 2nd Half of Warriors Loss to Suns

Getty Moses Moody #4 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket on LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers.

After a scintillating first half, Moses Moody’s minutes were curiously cut short in the second half of the Golden State Warriors‘ 108-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns during the NBA opening night on October 24.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr explained why he limited Moody in the second half.

“So it’s just the nature of the game,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game on Thursday, October 26. “We felt like we needed Gary Payton, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins on Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.”

“Those matchups are really important, obviously, when you play Phoenix, so we want our best defenders on those guys.”

Moody was one of the only few bright spots for the Warriors in the opening half, where they trailed by 15, 61-46. The 21-year-old wing scattered 11 points, seven in the first quarter, and added three rebounds, three steals and one block in close to 12 minutes.

The second was a different story.

Moody’s minutes were cut in half. He only attempted once and missed it with no other stat except one turnover.

“And so if Gary or JK is on the floor, Steph [Curry] and Klay [Thompson] and [Kevon Looney] or [Dario] Saric are out there, there’s only five spots, you know,” Kerr explained. “But Moses played great. He’s had a really good camp. And he’s really doing a good job of carving out a niche behind Klay as a shooting wing for us.”

The Warriors expect Moody, the 14th overall pick in 2021, to step up following the departure of Jordan Poole in the offseason and Thompson’s uncertain future.

Joe Lacob Tells Warriors Fans to Chill on Klay Thompson’s Extension

Warriors owner Joe Lacob urged the fans to calm down as Thompson’s contract extension negotiations drag into the season.

“I hope it’s not a distraction,” Lacob said in an interview with 95.7 The Game’s Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky on “The Morning Roast” a few hours before the Warriors season-opening loss. “I mean, we’re not in control of this.”

Thompson finished with 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting and seven rebounds. He only hit 3-of-11 3-pointers while adding three assists against three turnovers.

“There are two sides to every negotiation. We want him back. He wants to be back. It’s kind of like Draymond [Green’s contract situation this past summer]. I think everyone needs to just chill a little bit. Let it take its course. My guess is it works out. I can’t control it. I can’t dictate it. You can’t dictate it. Fans can’t dictate it. These things have to take their course. There are different parties involved, but the intentions are really good,” Lacob continued.

Chris Paul’s Reaction to C-P-3 Chants

Though the Warriors lost, Chris Paul debuted with a near-double-double.

The 39-year-old point guard had 14 points and nine assists, with the bulk of it coming in the stirring third-quarter run with the Warriors crowd chanting C-P-3.

“Yeah, it was [surreal moment],” Paul told reporters after his first official game in a Warriors jersey. “Dario looked at me and started laughing, and I couldn’t help but laugh. That was a first.”