Most observes of the Golden State Warriors draft strategy were perplexed by what they were seeing in 2021. In what many people believe should have been a draft where the Dubs picked what other teams wanted and then shipped those new players off in return for win-now pieces, they picked two 19-year-olds, one deemed a project piece and the other more league-ready but still needing time… and they kept them.

So far, it’s paying off. #7 overall pick Jonathan Kuminga has earned a solid spot in the rotation with his rim pressure, leaping ability, and uncanny defensive aptitude. While Kuminga certainly still has some strides to make, the potential is already showing, and he’s getting just better and better already.

#14 overall is a bit of a different story. Moses Moody was widely considered the highest-floor player in the draft: He’s a prototypical 3&D wing, of which good ones are in short supply on the market right now, who projects as a serviceable off-the-catch shooter while using his physical tools - including a 7-foot wingspan despite standing about 7 inches shorter than that at 6’5 - to be a pesky, lanky defender on the perimeter and even around the rim. Despite all that, though, he hasn’t seen significant run at the NBA level.

For a minute there, it was looking like the Warriors - and most scouts - were wrong, and that Moody would be another project piece. Rational analysis wouldn’t lead most to this conclusion, but these are NBA fans we’re talking about here. A 19-year-old in the league doesn’t get the same consideration which normal 19-year-olds get: Maybe there’s an adjustment period. With his recent play though, it’s looking like that adjustment’s being made.

During 5 games in the G-League showcase, Moody played really solid. He averaged 24 points per game on 43% from the floor and 33% from three, marking a lacking relationship between volume and efficiency, but hope for his jumper was buoyed by a 100% conversion rate at the free throw line. Regardless of how many he made or missed, one thing was for sure: The kid can shoot. Most of his buckets came as 2-pointers (non mid-range, specifically), and he got almost 58% of them on his own unassisted looks, showing some defiance to draft scouts who were low on his potential ability to self-create.

Fast forward to the G-League regular season, and the jump in numbers are almost confusing. In 4 games played so far, Moody has averaged almost 32 points per game, and done so on 51/41/80 shooting splits. His usage rate dropped a bit, but he’s getting buckets at a markedly more efficient rate. The majority, even if slight, of his points are from the three-ball, and he cashes in over 94% of those looks on assists from his teammates. He’s still getting 54% of his looks unassisted from 2, mostly in the paint and around the basket.

A look at his game film shows some consistency in his shot, and the clip at the 22-second mark shows a nice rocker-step move to burn his man, splitting through a few more help defenders for the dunk:

Moody’s been flat-out balling lately. With the Warriors working on getting Klay Thompson back into the rotation and a need for wing depth as him, Andre Iguodala, and Otto Porter Jr. all take rest days, Moody may see some run with the Warriors varsity squad. He was called up from the G-League earlier today, presumably to fill in some rotational minutes as the Warriors will sit OPJ and Thompson on separate nights of the upcoming back-to-back.

The Warriors play the Rockets tonight and will play the Spurs tomorrow. Look for Kerr to give Moody some run, and see how he contributes against two young, rebuilding team. Whether he will play heavy minutes one night or the other, split minutes evenly, or only play one game of the back-to-back is unknown, but how his efficiency in the G-League translates at the NBA level even against teams at the bottom of the West will be something to watch regardless of how much he plays.

(Photo credit: Abbie Parr / Getty Images)