SACRAMENTO -- For the third time this season, the Warriors will conclude a set of back-to-back games with Monday night's home contest against the San Antonio Spurs. They're still searching for their first win. That's true for the first night of a back-to-back, and the second.
So far, the 5-8 Warriors are 0-5 in such games. With hopes that the sixth such game is the lucky one, Moses Moody will have to seize his opportunity.
The second-year pro received his second straight DNP (Did Not Play) Sunday night in the Warriors' loss to the Sacramento Kings, after playing nine minutes off the bench in a win over the Kings one week ago. It's almost a guarantee that Klay Thompson will rest vs. the Spurs, giving the 20-year-old Moody a chance to once again prove himself.
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When he does get in the game, Steve Kerr wants Moody to focus on two facets of the game.
"I'm really confident in Moses, and he'll find his way back into the rotation," Kerr said Sunday night prior to the Warriors' loss at Golden 1 Center. "I've talked to him about turnovers and fouls, that's the big thing. When you're a young player trying to find a role, it's really important to just be solid."
To end the Warriors' recent winless five-game road trip, Moody started and played 32 minutes in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans as Kerr sat Thompson, Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins. The former lottery pick had a solid showing, scoring 10 points while going 4-for-9 from the field. He also finished with four rebounds and was a team-high plus-10 in plus-minus.
Then there's the downside. Moody also committed four turnovers. His 92 offensive rating in the loss was lowest among starters, and his 120 defensive rating was the worst among those five players as well.
Golden State Warriors
Playing 16.9 minutes per game, Moody is averaging 1.4 turnovers and 1.2 fouls per game. He has a 93 offensive rating per 100 possessions, and a 116 defensive rating in 11 games. Moody is shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent on 3-pointers, numbers that are far below what the Warriors expected.
"I think the biggest thing for Moses is to understand his role: 3-and-D, knock down the shot, play defense, rebound," Kerr said. "But take care of the ball and defend without fouling. Those are two things I've talked to him about. I have no doubt he'll be back in the rotation before long."
In stating a bit of the obvious, the Warriors badly need what Moody can provide in a perfect world. That's length at 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, the ability to stretch the floor and be a versatile player on both sides of the ball.
Prior to the Warriors' latest loss, Kerr also made a public message that the position that Moody, James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga are simply isn't a fair one. The Warriors aren't a team that can withstand mistakes right now and win games. Their overall record shows that, as does their 0-7 start on the road in hostile environments.
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Moody wasn't alone on the bench Sunday night. James Wiseman received a third DNP in a row, as did JaMychal Green. Kuminga played 14 minutes off the bench. But on an inexperienced roster where players are learning the difficulties on the fly of being a role player, Moody felt like the one who could do so the most seamlessly.
He's itching to show what he's capable of again, and his coach is expressing plenty of trust in him. To get the Warriors back in the win column before hitting road to play the Suns in Phoenix, Moody will be a player to watch against the Spurs, and his impact could last past Monday night.