Andrew Wiggins‘ struggles to begin the new season have been well documented. The Golden State Warriors champion has struggled on both sides of the floor. He’s struggling to convert his shots, has regressed on defense, and his inability to protect the ball is becoming troublesome. Yet, Steve Kerr has continued to show patience a player who was instrumental in Golden State’s 2022 championship run.
However, according to a Western Conference coach, who spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, Moses Moody should be given a shot at replacing Wiggins. The coach noted that the third-year shooting guard’s skillset is a better fit for what the starting lineup needs and that his hunger and hustle could help galvanize the team.
“Moses Moody,” the coach told Deveney. “It’s not that he is better than Andrew Wiggins, it is just that he is a better fit with what they have in that starting group. They need a little hustle, they need that juice a young guy can give you. They have a lot of guys with a lot of mileage and sometimes when you drop a younger player, a hungry player, into a mix like that, it sparks those guys.”
Moody has appeared in 22 games for the Warriors this season. He’s averaging 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and an assist, shooting 47.9% from the field and 34.7% from 3-point range. At 21 years old, Moody still has significant upside and room to grow, which would only be expedited by being in the Warriors starting lineup.
Kerr is likely to remain patient with Wiggins. He’s a better and more experienced player than Moody at this point. However, if Wiggins doesn’t turn things around in the coming weeks, Kerr’s hand might be forced, which could lead to the first significant lineup change of the season.
