Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Monday, October 7th.
Moses Moody was one of the Golden State Warriors most impactful players during Saturday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite coming off the bench as the 11th man in the rotation, he still finished the game as the team’s second highest scorer with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-5 shooting from the three-point line. He also led the Warriors with a plus-minus of +14 in just 13 minutes on the court.
Three-possession eye emoji of a sequence for Moses Moody pic.twitter.com/WkVW7Rrhfb
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) October 5, 2024
Despite his efficient play and growing case for more minutes, Moody’s spot in the rotation somehow remains uncertain. Speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Steve Kerr attributed the fourth-year guard’s limited playing time to a “numbers game” given the current roster composition.
Kerr on Moody: “It’s a numbers game. The only thing any of these guys can do is go out and have a great camp and make it really hard on us as decision-makers, and Moses is having a great camp. He’s playing great. All he can do is just keep doing what he’s doing.” pic.twitter.com/UPzFIhOnhE
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 7, 2024
Kerr’s explanation echoes what he said last season when Moody found himself on the outside of the rotation looking in.
"He's out of the loop, right now."
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 26, 2024
Kerr says it's "impossible" to play 12 guys in a rotation when asked about Moody's lack of play tonight pic.twitter.com/hRqkdTEVzT
With Klay Thompson’s departure, it appeared that Moody might have a clearer path to more playing time. His minutes have gradually increased each season, with him averaging 17.5 minutes per game last year. However, it remains to be seen whether Kerr will significantly boost Moody’s role this season or continue to keep him on the fringes of the rotation.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Tuesday, October 8th:
Kerr on Moody: “It’s a numbers game. The only thing any of these guys can do is go out and have a great camp and make it really hard on us as decision-makers, and Moses is having a great camp. He’s playing great. All he can do is just keep doing what he’s doing.” pic.twitter.com/UPzFIhOnhE
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 7, 2024
“I’m just trying to be great over here and do as much as I can,” said Kuminga, who last visited the Congo after the Warriors won an NBA championship in 2022. “Mutombo did as much as he could and he went back and helped. That is what it’s all about. Do as much as you can, whatever it is, as long as you’re giving back and showing the rest of the people the way that’s all that matters.
“I’ve been helping. Sending some stuff back. Helping people. Giving back shoes. Helping certain kids. I’m working on doing a camp when I go back at some point and helping a couple of [Congolese] students here, giving them scholarships for school and education.”
The fluidity Looney felt during offseason workouts — he felt lighter and faster while maintaining his strength, he said, during pickup games in August against other NBA players — accompanied him to training camp in Hawaii, where he punctuated the first practice with a corner 3-pointer.
If he converts from 3-point range — even on occasion — Kerr’s lineups and rotations have far more flexibility.
He doesn’t want Looney to attempt 3-pointers with volume, but appreciates and embraces the shot, situationally: i.e. broken plays, when the shot clock is dwindling or when he’s conspicuously uncovered on the perimeter.
Curry’s scheduled stops are mapped out with precision with to-do items like NBA Photo Blue (3 min), NBA TV Live (6-8 min) and Social/Digital (10-12 min). Those aren’t mere suggestions: The timer starts ticking down like a shot clock as soon as he enters a room.
As Curry begins this odyssey, Warriors public relations manager Cole Lawrence gives the superstar some reassurance by holding up a small bag. It’s full of candy, heavy on Skittles and Starbursts, in case of emergency.
“Good,” Curry tells him, “because I’m going to crash about halfway through.”
Andrew Wiggins participated in practice today after missing all of camp in Hawaii. He did not take part in the live-action portion of the day, and he will not play on Wednesday.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) October 7, 2024
I am honored to join ESPN as the company’s Senior NBA Insider. I can’t wait to be part of an incredible group of colleagues at ESPN and serve the sports audience worldwide. pic.twitter.com/sBDFGIpkb6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 7, 2024
“The public and media have spent about 95% of their oxygen on this,” one Western Conference executive said. “The league has spent about 5% of its oxygen on this. It’s a story for people who are invested in entertainment. It is a cool story that LeBron gets to play with his son, but at the end of the day, you have to separate LeBron from his son at some point and make sure that his son has an opportunity to have a long-term career and not just 15 minutes of white-hot fame.”
Said another Western Conference executive: “His success or failure as a basketball player needs to be measured over a length of time that social media and the media won’t give him. People will pass judgment on him negatively faster because they’re just seeing so much of him. And that’s really unfair. Every other player with his level of preparedness has gotten more time because people just don’t give a s---. He’s not going to get the benefit of that.”
Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. has agreed to a three-year, $59 million contract extension, per his agent Mike Miller of LIFT Sports Management. Carter secures his maximum extension and $82M in new deal through 2028-29 season. pic.twitter.com/7qicNLEYcg
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 8, 2024
According to a report by Ramona Shelburne, they Warriors “liked Bronny’s skill set and had him on their draft board,” as the No. 52 picks in the draft approached. But with the Lakers picking at No. 55, Shelburne reports the Warriors chose to “respect the wishes James had made clear” and opted for Boston College center Quinten Post instead.
Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
