SAN FRANCISCO – Moses Moody officially is out for the Warriors’ regular season opener Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers while still rehabbing a strained calf, coach Steve Kerr announced Sunday.
Moody did not practice Sunday. He went through individual work on the court and in the weight room, but has not scrimmaged since missing the Warriors’ final three preseason games.
Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga, both coming back from ankle issues, scrimmaged Sunday and everything went well for them physically. The two forwards will be listed as questionable for the season opener with the expectation being they’ll be able to play.
Losing Moody for at least the first game of the season already throws a wrench in Kerr’s plans for his starting lineup and how he’ll use different combinations. Moody started both preseason games he played in and averaged 14.5 points on 52.4 percent shooting and was 7 of 12 (58.3 percent) on 3-pointers. The Jimmy Butler trade last season cemented Moody into a role of being a go-to on-ball defender who can hit open threes.
Moody’s versatility as someone who can play up as a forward in smaller lineups or down as a shooting guard in bigger lineups proved key down the stretch last season. And it also has Kerr trying to fill a missing piece.
“I honestly have not decided yet who’s going to start on Tuesday,” Kerr said.
Which prompted the question: Do you know who will start on Tuesday?
Sprinkling in some sarcasm, Kerr rattled off the obvious choices of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Butler, assuming he’s healthy enough. He then made it clear who at least the fourth person will be.
“With Moses out, that’s kind of the question,” Kerr said. “[Brandin Podziemski] will be out there. BP will be out there.”
Kerr mentioned veteran center Al Horford as an option, as well as Kuminga, but he could go a number of ways. The Warriors don’t want to play Horford, 39 years old, more than 20 to 25 minutes per game, making it tricky to decide if he’s better served as a starter or coming off the bench. If he starts and the Warriors want to close games, that means long lulls on the bench in between.
“What we have to think about is, what does that do to the rotation and what does that mean coming off the bench,” Kerr said. “Honestly, we have not decided yet and we’ve got to talk to guys as well.”
The player who will be most affected by the fifth spot is Green. Starting Horford would slot Green into his more natural position of power forward. But if Kerr opts to go smaller and start Kuminga, Green would continue rising above as a small-ball center.
None of this is new to Green, who joked that if he has to play the five “I’m going to ask for a trade.” The 6-foot-6 defensive genius has probably played more center than Kerr would have liked over the years, but he’s also a main piece of the modern NBA’s revolution. The deciding factor going into Green’s 14th season is the same that it’s always been for someone so decorated.
What’s best for the team? What is going to help the Warriors win? And what will put them on the path to contending for another championship?
“I’ve teetered with it my whole career. Sometimes at the five, sometimes at the four,” Green said. “I think you all know me. Whatever helps this team, whatever puts us in the best position to win, that’s what I’m going to do. I train to prepare myself for whatever’s to come. Playing the five isn’t always about the size, it’s about the size of the heart and I think my heart is as big – if not bigger – than anyone’s in the league. I always trust in that.
“I think my brain helps me get by quite a bit. I can outthink some guys. I just use the tools that I have. But I’m not putting no huge emphasis on whether I play the four or the five. In life we all have ideally what we would like. I have ideally what I think it would look like. But I also know that I play a team sport and in playing a team sport, what may be best for you personally or what you think is best, if that’s not best for the team then you’re being selfish. And I take pride in not being selfish.
“So whatever that looks like, wherever I can help … if that’s like, ‘Oh man, you sliding to the five is going to help this lineup, that’s going to help this rotation,’ then great. If it’s sliding to the four, great. Ultimately, Steve proved in Year 1 that he knows how to do these things, so I’m not going to be the idiot to sit here and question him. I’ll move on in my life and get ready for whatever’s ahead.”
Lakers head coach JJ Redick is expected to use Gabe Vincent, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton as his starting five against the Warriors. LeBron James remains out because of sciatica.
Who Kerr slots in next to Curry, Podziemski, Butler and Green is to be determined, and always, Draymond is ready for however the cards are shuffled.
