Moses Moody provided a key boost off the bench throughout the Warriors' 4-2 homestand, capping it off with 17 points in Golden State's 104-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night at Chase Center.
After the game, coach Steve Kerr offered a simple explanation for Moody's recent scoring surge.
"It's just confidence," Kerr told reporters. "He's getting consistent minutes, and he's making the most of them. He has the occasional night when shots don't go in, and it doesn't bother him because he knows he's coming right back the next game.
"I think the consistency is helping him, and I thought he hit the biggest shot of the game tonight, that corner three. Really fun to see Moses play well and continue to play well."
That clutch shot Kerr referred to came with just over a minute left and the Warriors ahead by only two points. Especially given the recent injury absence of Jonathan Kuminga, Moody has had more chances to be on the floor late in games -- as seen Monday night.
After averaging just 16.1 minutes per game up until Jan. 13 this season, Moody's playing time has shot up to 25 minutes on average over his last 10 games.
During that stretch, he has played at least 20 minutes -- and scored at least 10 points -- in nine of those 10 contests. That correlation likely isn't coincidental.
Golden State Warriors
Moody kept his hot streak alive tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FJtL6fx3gu
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 4, 2025
Moody agreed with his coach's assessment that his play has benefitted from consistent minutes.
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"It feels good. I've been able to play a lot in the games," Moody explained in his postgame presser. "You know, find a flow, find a rhythm and carry it on game to game. ...
"That's how I always played, so just being away from that and having to figure that out, it's always going to be different and you never know what you're going to get. Just staying ready, keeping that mentality -- I've done it the hard way, so being able to get the minutes and get the consistency makes the game a lot easier for me."
"I've done it the hard way, so being able to get the minutes and get the consistency makes the game a lot easier for me." Moses Moody explains the importance of steady playing time his strong offensive stretch 🙌
— Warriors on NBC Sports Bay Area (@nbcswarriors.bsky.social) February 3, 2025 at 10:29 PM
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The Warriors showed faith in Moody this offseason when they signed the 2021 first-round pick to a three-year, $39 million contract extension in October.
Now, amid what arguably has been the best stretch of his career, Moody's developing role will be one to watch throughout the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA season, especially once Kuminga returns from injury.