Moody is expected to continue playing a key role for the Warriors following what was easily the most productive season of his young NBA career. He posted career highs across the board, seeing his minutes increase as he became a reliable spark off the bench—often stepping in for superstar Stephen Curry.

Watching Curry’s work ethic up close is a valuable experience for any young player. But while the two-time MVP is widely regarded as a consummate teammate, he doesn’t shy away from teaching tough lessons—especially to rookies who don’t yet know better.

“One of my first times, I ripped him [Curry], and I’m a rookie, just coming in, so I’m feeling good about it,” Moody said during an appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast. “I just felt everybody in the room kind of go, ‘Oh… he doesn’t know.’ Then Steph did what Steph does and went crazy, and I’m like, ‘OK, that feeling was right.’ I knew what I felt. Everybody knew what was about to go down.”

Now entering his fifth season out of Arkansas, Moody also highlighted the subtle leadership Curry brings to the locker room—a steady presence that’s helped keep the Warriors in the title conversation for more than a decade.

“He’s not loud, he doesn’t talk crazy, but he’s so good that when he’s talking, he’s helping you—almost unintentionally. He’s just playing,” Moody added. “He doesn’t talk a lot, and it’s not in a conniving type of way. It’s genuine.”

Moody remains a critical piece off the bench, often providing fresh energy during pivotal moments. Alongside fellow young talents like Brandin Podziemski and Quinten Post, he represents part of the franchise’s blueprint for the future.

The Warriors made it clear they viewed Moody as a building block when they selected him 14th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Though he played a limited role in his first three seasons, he has since earned the full trust of head coach Steve Kerr and looks poised to take another leap in the coming year.

The fourth-year guard suffered the injury in March but continued playing through the pain as the Warriors pushed for a postseason berth. Speaking with 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs,” Moody explained the physical and mental hurdles he faced while dealing with the injury.

“It was really tough,” Moody admitted. “I didn’t know it was torn at that point, but I couldn’t really use [my thumb] and it hurt to catch the ball, to dribble the ball — all of that. But I could play around it. I told myself if I was going to be out there, I wasn’t going to use my hand as an excuse.”

Moody’s comments highlight how some injuries aren’t fully understood until deeper medical evaluations are performed. Despite his uncertainty at the time, Moody said his main focus remained on helping the Warriors reach the playoffs. “We were trying to make the playoffs going down the stretch,” he said. “And if I knew it was torn, I probably would have sat out — but we had to make the playoffs.”

The injury severely limited Moody‘s ability to use his thumb in any basketball-related motion — an enormous challenge in a sport that demands constant control of the ball. “That ligament really is your thumb,” he said. “I couldn’t palm the ball, so pretty much anything involving my thumb was off the table. I had to learn to shoot and catch without it. It was weird at first, but after a while, that became my new normal. Now I’m trying to reteach myself how to use it again.”

Before the injury, Moody was carving out an important role off the bench. At just 22 years old, his energy, versatility, and developing skill set were making him a reliable option in Steve Kerr’s rotation. His absence was felt by a Warriors team already dealing with multiple setbacks throughout the campaign. Another key blow came when Jonathan Kuminga suffered a significant injury during his best stretch of the regular season — a loss that prompted Golden State to reportedly explore a trade for Jimmy Butler.

These injuries have fueled ongoing concerns among players about the demanding nature of the NBA schedule. The increased physical intensity combined with a packed calendar has led to a rise in injuries across the league, and many players are voicing concerns about long-term health risks.

Several marquee stars — including Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, and Jayson Tatum — were among those affected by significant injuries this past season. As the league continues to evaluate the structure of its calendar and player workload, stories like Moody’s underscore just how much players sacrifice to stay on the floor when it matters most.

After the Warriors’ preseason win over the Sacramento Kings, Moody got his chance to start, using the opportunity to show head coach Steve Kerr that he could be the answer to replacing Thompson. Following the game, Moody opened up about his frustrations with his limited minutes last season.

“I didn’t play as much as I wanted to last year, so I obviously wasn’t in a place to where I needed to be,” Moody said. “So, over the summer, like I’ve been saying, just put a lot of work in on the small things, the details.”

He added, “I put a lot of work in over the summer, so training is your first opportunity to really showcase that work. Not even necessarily looking for the gratification this early on—you see how it goes—but I did the work. So, it’ll show.”

Kerr looks to fill Thompson’s void

With Klay Thompson’s departure, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has emphasized the need for a balanced offensive attack, calling on several players to elevate their game. Kerr specifically pointed to Andrew Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and De’Anthony Melton as key contributors.

“I want Wigs shooting six, seven 3s. I want Brandin, I want Moses, I want De’Anthony—I want us to be a high-volume shooting team,” Kerr said in an interview with ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.

He added, “The big shift is Klay is not here. We were fourth in the league in 3-point attempts last year, but Klay probably shot eight to 10 of those, so we’re going to have to fill that void. That will come from multiple people.”

That’s why just a handful of first-year players make the rounds in their debut season. Others need a while longer to develop or be in a more favorable position, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have superstar potential as well.

Last season, some rookies showed glimpses of great potential, but either hit a wall, didn’t get enough minutes, or their team was stacked at their position. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 5 second-year players likely to break out next season.

NBA 2022-23: 5 Second-Year Players Ready To Break Out

5. Bones Hyland

Nah’Shon ‘Bones’ Hyland slowly worked his way into the Denver Nuggets’ rotation last season. He brought an instant spark of energy off the bench, showed a streaky scoring ability, and often made the right read as a playmaker.

His game was promising enough for the Nuggets to let both Facundo Campazzo and Monte Morris go in the offseason. He’s now expected to log heavy minutes as the de factoPG, even when Jamal Murray is back on the court. He could put up 15+ points and 7+ assists a night.

4. Moses Moody

Moses Moody didn’t get much run as a rookie. But his ability to play at both guard spots and even some small forward will come in quite handily for Steve Kerr as he looks to adapt his new lineups with Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II, and Nemanja Bjelica all gone.

Moody’s never-ending drive will keep their rivals on their toes. He’s athletic, fast, and shot 43% from the floor on limited minutes as a rookie. He can score from all three levels, create for others, and bulked up throughout the season, so expect him to be even more aggressive.

3. Joshua Primo

The San Antonio Spurs will likely trade Doug McDermott and roll with Devin Vassell at the two, leaving Joshua Primo as thestarting small forward for next season. He’s one of the best shooters in his class and will most definitely make the most of those extra touches.

Primo showed elite defensive prowess during his time in college, and his length and lateral quickness help him cover a lot of ground. He should be one of the focal points of Gregg Popovich’s offense on a not-so-good Spurs team next season.

2. Jonathan Kuminga

Jonathan Kuminga has superstar potential. His NBA-ready body helped him get multiple stops on defense and drive to the lane with ease. He can score from all three levelsand is a much better ball handler than people give him credit for.

Kuminga is the Golden State Warriors’ only hope to be as good as they were last season. They lost three of their best defenders in the offseason and will need him to log heavy minutes at both forward spots to make up for that.

1. Alperen Sengun

Alperen Sengun showed his smooth touch around the rim in the second half of last season. And now that Christian Wood was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, he’ll have virtually no competition for minutes at both the four and the five next season.

Sengun has elite handles and playmaking skills for a big man and even some range. He’s a walking double-double and great in help defense as a shot-blocker, albeit he often gets beat in the pick-and-roll. He could average 20-10 for the young Houston Rockets.

In fact, Moses Moody was part of the Warriors squad as they clinched their 7th NBA Championship title agains the Boston Celtics. In the 2022 NBA Finals, Moody played a total of 11 minutes, scored 2 pointsand 1 blockthrough four gamesas he came off the bench.

During the off-season, Moodyplayed for the Warriors’ summer squadinthe Las Vegas Summer League. In his debut, Moodypulled up 34 points on 13 shots (5-of-7 on twos, 3-of-6 on threes) with 5 rebounds and2 blocks.

Moses Moody’s contract

According to the specialized site Spotract, Moses Moodysigned a 4-year deal worth $17,024,109with the Golden State Warriors. This dealincludes$17,024,109 guaranteed, andan annual average salary of $4,256,027.In the 2022-23 NBA season, Moody will earn a base salary of $3,740,160, while carrying a cap hit of $3,740,160 and a dead cap value of $3,740,160.

Moses Moody’s net worth

Moses Moodyhasn’t disclosed any type of endorsments.Therefore, it isnotaccurate to sum up a number that could stateMoody’s actual net worth. However, an estimate could be around a $3millon-dollar, due to his current basketball player’s salary.