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Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have had a brutal week on the road. A blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night made it six defeats in their last seven games, with the play-in picture tightening around them by the day. The final score was 120-99, and it was not particularly close for most of the night.
Kristaps Porzingis had two blocks on the opening defensive possession and looked ready for a statement game against another former team. It did not materialise. He finished with 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting, and Boston’s stars did what Boston’s stars do. Jaylen Brown had 32 points. Jayson Tatum added 24 and 10 rebounds. The gap in available talent was too wide to close.
Before the game, Steve Kerr delivered an update on Moses Moody that made the situation feel even more complicated.
Warriors’ Moody Update Raises Serious Questions
GettyMoses Moody of the Golden State Warriors.
Moody has now missed eight straight games with a wrist sprain suffered against the Los Angeles Clippers earlier this month. Kerr confirmed on Wednesday that the 23-year-old is still only practicing with his left hand, and that his return is not as close as the organisation had hoped.
Thirteen games remain in Golden State’s regular season. With the play-in race as tight as it is, every one of them matters. Whether Moody will be available for any of them is genuinely unclear.
The timing is painful. Before the wrist injury, Moody had played in 59 consecutive games and was putting together the most consistent stretch of his career. He had started 48 games this season, including 35 straight, and was averaging a career-high 11.9 points per game while leading the team in three-point percentage at 40.2%.
What Golden State Is Missing Without Him
The numbers tell the story. Golden State still ranks second in the league in three-pointers attempted per game. But since Moody went down, they have dropped to 25th in three-point percentage at 33.5%. On Wednesday against the Celtics, they shot 10-of-43 from deep. The night before in Washington, it was 9-of-32.
That is not a coincidence. Moody’s shooting gravity creates space that simply does not exist without him. When defences do not have to account for a 40% three-point shooter on the weak side, rotations get easier and Golden State’s offence becomes more predictable.
The Warriors are 2-6 since he went out. Stephen Curry remains sidelined with runner’s knee. Jimmy Butler is done for the season with a torn ACL. Al Horford is out with a calf strain. Seth Curry is dealing with an adductor strain. Moody’s absence sits on top of all of that.
Final Word for Golden State
The Warriors head to Detroit on Friday for the fourth stop of a six-game road trip, sitting at 33-36 and ninth in the West.
Moody is not as close as they had hoped. The rest of the injury list has not changed. And the games are running out.
Porzingis cannot do it alone. Right now, Golden State needs reinforcements and is not getting any.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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