Getty Steve Kerr, coach of the Warriors, acknowledges that Moses Moody should play more.
On Tuesday, Warriors guard Moses Moody, who is just 21 years old, got a bit philosophical in his meeting with the media. He was asked about the minutes he was playing, just 17.6 per game this year, after Golden State coach Steve Kerr pointed out previously that Moody probably should be playing more. So Moody quoted the poet James Oppenheim.
“A fool looks for happiness in the distance,” the quote goes, “while a wise man grows under his feet.”
Moses Moody explained when he met the media: “Instead of just saying it’s gonna be better in the future, it’s bad right now, it’s gonna be better, it’s gonna be better, you can always say that for the rest of your life. But a wise man is gonna sit here and look at the situation he is in and make the best out of that. That’s something I try to live on.”
Indeed, Moody has made the most of the minutes he’s gotten, averaging 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. He has been very good defensively and done well to play within himself offensively. While the Warriors’ offense tends to slow when Moody is on the floor, the defense gets a lot better—the team allows 117.8 points per 100 possessions when Moody is off the floor but just 108.9 when he is on it.
Moses Moody: ‘Everything Is Perspective’
As Kerr said, Moses Moody probably should be playing more, but the Warriors roster is packed. The acquisition of Chris Paul in the offseason, plus the presence of Gary Payton Jr. and the trio of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins means that a lot of backcourt minutes are occupied, which eats into Moody’s would-be minutes on the wing.
But again, he is philosophical. Just about every player on the Warriors is making a minutes sacrifice at this point.
“Everything is perspective,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys on this team that could be playing more. A lot of guys, just in this situation, there’s positive in every situation. Me being able to value the 17-to-20 minutes that I get, me being able to appreciate those and maximize those is something that I can learn from, it’s like a challenge that I can learn right now.”
Chances for 30-Minute-Per-Game Coming
There is no point in being upset about minutes he is not getting, Moody said. He’d rather be happy with the minutes he is getting, especially on a team stacked with future Hall of Fame players like the Warriors.
Moses Moody is confident his time for more time will come. Again, he is in just his third season at 21 years old, with what is likely a long NBA career. He will get chances, he said. But only if he takes advantage of what is in front of him.
Moses Moody hits the TOUGH and-1 in the post 😲
“Rather than if I could sit up here and be mad about my 15 minutes, then I get 30 minutes next year, well, since I was sitting here pouting all year, now I am not ready for those 30 minutes, I don’t know how to maximize 30 minutes. If you can’t maximize 15 minutes, it’s gonna be the same when you get 30 minutes. Just taking every obstacle, seeing the lesson that’s in front of you.”
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Warriors’ 21-Year-Old Wing Sounds off on Playing Time ‘Challenge’