Moses Moody has developed a reputation with the Warriors.
For many players in his role — in and out of the starting lineup and with fluctuating minutes — that reputation might be pessimistic or discontented.
But Moody never seems to be fazed by that inconsistency, as evident in his 24-point night off the bench in Golden State’s 118-107 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at Chase Center.
After the game, Moody was asked about the transition from starting at the end of last season to coming off the bench so far in this campaign.
“I think it’s part of life,” Moody told reporters. “You know, stuff goes your way, stuff doesn’t go your way.
“I guess that’s why I got the nickname ‘Stay Ready Mo.’ No matter what the situation is, you’ve got to deal with it, and I think that’s where we’re at, so day by day.”
On the front end of a back-to-back Tuesday, Moody played a season-high 34 minutes as the Warriors were without Al Horford for the whole game and Jimmy Butler for the second half. The fifth-year guard, who is in the first season of a three-year, $37.5 million rookie contract extension, made 5 of 8 3-point attempts to help guide Golden State to a bounce-back win.
Following the NBA All-Star break last season, Moody averaged 27.2 minutes per game and started all 27 games. But after suffering a calf injury during the preseason that kept him out of the Warriors’ first two contests of the 2025-26 season, the two-way wing hadn’t played more than 22 minutes in a game until Tuesday night.
“Moses was the player of the game tonight,” coach Steve Kerr said postgame. “His defense on [Suns guard Devin] Booker and his shooting — he was fantastic. He’s just found his groove now after missing most of training camp with the ankle. So it was a tough start to the season for him, mainly because we just found a different starting lineup and different rotation while he was out, and we were doing pretty well.
“But he’s forcing his way back into the mix, for sure.”
Now, with Golden State set to be short-handed for Wednesday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings, Moody likely will have another opportunity for an increased role — which could lead to a more permanent uptick in minutes.
