The Warriors are blowing it with Moses Moody again

After the Warriors dropped their second straight loss on Monday, frustrated fans remarked that the team seems to be repeating its mistakes. The disenchantment not only applies to the back-to-back blown double-digit leads but also the mismanagement of a key player: Moses Moody.

The 22-year-old led all scorers in the first half against Brooklyn with 15 points, including the 12 he scored in the final three minutes of the second quarter, on 6-of-7 shooting (3-of-4 from three). The hot shooting hand was one thing, but Moody also secured a pair of blocks against Nets guard Dennis Schroder, who would finish as the game’s leading scorer.

Yet in the second half, Steve Kerr’s rotations seemed to ignore what had just transpired. Moody sat on the bench, with Kerr’s new favorite Lindy Waters III taking his place on the court as a second guard until the final 4.5 minutes of the third quarter. Moody then entered the game, took one three-point attempt and found himself back on the bench to start the fourth. His next two stints on the floor lasted about one minute and 50 seconds and one minute and four seconds, respectively — the latter being the final minute of the game. In both short fourth-quarter appearances, the Warriors outscored the Nets.

Moody’s lone shot and miss in the second half was one of the most predictable outcomes of the game. Halftime alone can be disruptive to a great shooting night, and adding more than half of a quarter’s rest into the mix often guarantees that a player’s shooting stroke will cool down to ice-cold. Good coaches should maximize the talent they have, and Kerr’s rotation did the opposite for Moody.

The rotational negligence that Moody has experienced during his time with Golden State has ironically gotten him reps in navigating media questions about his fluctuating playing time. Bay Area News Group’s Danny Emerman avoided shaking the table too much by asking Moody about the importance of “rhythm to be able to sustain how you’re feeling out there” — as opposed to something more direct and infinitely less professional, like “It sucks that Steve Kerr’s rotations ice you out, huh?”

The young guard responded in a clear-eyed way that avoided pointing any fingers.

“That’s not a luxury I’ve had through my career, so, I’ve kind of had to figure out how to play — whatever happens, whatever the opportunity is,” Moody said. “I kind of just deal with whatever it is. I don’t necessarily look for outside things as in playing time, rotation, whatever it is. When I get the opportunity, I take the shots that I get. I take the driving lanes that I get and just play.”

There’s an argument that perhaps Moody didn’t get the green light in the second half because of recent shooting struggles. Before Sunday, he scored on just seven of his last 25 attempts from three through the past nine games. But time and time again, the Warriors have given significantly more leeway to other Golden State players. This is a team that continues to trust Brandin Podziemski with about 23 minutes a game despite his statistical woes. This is a team that extended Draymond Green after he punched a teammate. This is a team that played Anthony Lamb, in the midst of a civil rape lawsuit, for more minutes than Moody. A few bad shooting games can’t possibly be enough to keep the player off the floor during a great performance.

Perhaps the most frustrating element of this is that Kerr should know better. Nearly one year ago to the day, the Warriors lost a close one to the Kings, 124-123. In the fourth quarter, Moody erupted for a perfect 4-for-4 from the field (3-for-3 from three), and Kerr decided to bench him for the final five minutes of the game — despite the fact that the guard had just nailed two threes in a row. Kerr later admitted it was an outright mistake.

The benching has been Moody’s experience with Golden State in a nutshell. Throughout his time as a Warrior, Moody has, with truly admirable restraint, repeatedly acknowledged his inconsistent minutes without assigning any blame. In return, Kerr has, at least publicly, said that Moody deserves more time on the floor. Back in mid-October, the coach even said, “He’s going to play a big role for us,” an expectation that general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. set back in April. The team even signed him to a three-year, $39 million extension in accordance with those statements.

But the words ring hollow when they’re not followed by corrective on-the-court action — beyond a new contract, of course — and they ring even more hollow since the action in question is just a meager desire for more consistency in playing time. 

The Warriors are in a precarious portion of the season. After banking a number of impressive early wins, the team may need to cash a few in during a formidable upcoming stretch against the Thunder, Suns, Nuggets, Rockets, Grizzlies and Timberwolves. It will take a lot to leave that portion of the calendar with at least an even record, but if the team is unable to figure out something as simple as getting more minutes for guys who are playing well, it begs the question of how they’ll figure out their toughest run of the season.