Budding Star Dubbed Warriors’ ‘Most Important Player’ This Offseason

Getty Andrew Wiggins #22, Jordan Poole #3, Kevon Looney #5, Moses Moody # and Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors stand for the national anthem prior to Game Five of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at Chase Center on May 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors have patched together a quality offseason, but the team will still count on some of its young talent to replace the production that was lost over the summer.

The biggest hits were the departures of Gary Payton II, who signed a mid-level exception deal worth more than $26 million to join the Portland Trail Blazers, and Otto Porter Jr., who inked a two-year contract worth more than $12 million with the Toronto Raptors.

Free agent signing Donte DiVincenzo will certainly pick up some of the slack left at the wing position by the aforementioned rotational duo. However, Mo Dakhil of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, August 23, nominated Moses Moody as the player whose year-to-year improvement is most important to Golden State’s success now that Payton and Porter have left town.

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Warriors’ Moody Must Replace Defensive Production of Porter, Payton

GettyGolden State Warriors rookie guard Moses Moody looks to pass the ball during a game against the Denver Nuggets.

Dakhil noted that while Moody’s offensive skillset can be a bonus for the Dubs, it is his defense they will need more than anything.

With a veteran-heavy roster last year, Moody only appeared in 52 games, some of that being garbage time. When he saw time, Moody shot 36.4 percent from three on 2.1 attempts a game. In summer league, he dropped 34 points in the first of two games he played.

The offense is a nice bonus for the Warriors, but they really need Moody to fill the defensive void left by Payton and Porter. In 2021-22, Golden State had a 108.9 defensive rating with him on the court. If he can improve on that end, it will lessen the loss of those two key role players.

Moody is a much bigger player than Payton, standing three inches taller at 6-feet, 6-inches tall. The 20-year-old is a couple of inches shorter than Porter but can hopefully compensate against taller defensive matchups by way of athleticism and younger legs.

Offensively, Porter averaged 8.2 points in 22.2 minutes per game last season, while Payton averaged 7.1 points in 17.6 minutes per outing. Moody scored just 4.4 points in 11.7 minutes each contest, but he and DiVincenzo should be able to combine to at least replicate Porter and Payton’s offensive production, if not outpace it, with increased minutes presumably coming Moody’s way. DiVincenzo averaged 10.3 points per game last season, per Basketball Reference.

Warriors’ Young Players All Have Something to Prove Next Season

GettyGolden State Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga slam dunks the basketball during a game against the Chicago Bulls.

While Moody must show he’s capable of handling more minutes and playing defense at an NBA level night in and night out, his fellow youthful counterparts in Golden State have things of their own to prove.

Third-year center James Wiseman needs to prove he is capable of staying on the court after missing the entirety of the 2021-22 season with a knee injury that he was supposed to have recovered from by Christmas. The big man has appeared in just 39 games since the Warriors drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick two years ago.

Jonathan Kuminga, drafted earlier in the lottery than was Moody last year, has shown flashes of brilliant athleticism. However, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith took Kuminga to task on Tuesday’s edition of “First Take,” questioning the 19-year-old’s maturity.

“I expect Moody and Wiseman to be significant. I’m worried about Kuminga,” Smith said. “I’m hearing too many things about him off the court in terms of his head. The level of discipline he lacks. … Some of the foolishness.”

“I’m not getting in his personal business. I’m not saying nothing like that,” Smith continued. “I’m talking attitude, I’m not talking actions. I’m saying that attitude, the level of focus, commitment, determination, just putting your head down, doing the work. I’m hearing that he’s shortchanging the Warriors in that regard, and he gotta get his act together.”

Kuminga saw the most action of any of the Warriors’ young prospective stars in 2021, save for Jordan Poole who is entering his fourth NBA season this coming year. Kuminga earned 16.9 minutes of floor time nightly, posting averages of 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists each game, per Basketball Reference.

Perhaps more importantly, Kuminga displayed defensive versatility and explosiveness, while also proving he can be a human highlight reel above the rim when afforded the opportunity.