Moses Moody questionable for Warriors-Grizzlies play-in game; Kerr talks guarding Morant, Kuminga’s role
SAN FRANCISCO – One of Golden State’s best defenders is questionable for its Tuesday night play-in game against Memphis.
Moses Moody began suffering back spasms during the morning shootaround and is a game-time decision.
Moody has played in 74 games and has been an every-night starter next to Jimmy Butler during the second half of the season. He has averaged 9.8 points while being arguably the team’s top perimeter stopper.
Should he play, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Moody is expected to be the primary defender on Memphis superstar point guard Ja Morant.
But if he can’t go, or is limited, then the Warriors believe they still have other solid options to throw at the player who scored 36 in the teams’ last matchup on April 1.
“Gary’s healthy, so Gary (Payton II) will guard him,” Kerr said. “Brandin Podziemski too, you now, would be the two main guys, but we’ll mix and match and go from there.”
Regardless of who is guarding him, Kerr said that keeping Morant out of transition will be key. The Grizzlies lead the NBA in pace at 103.69 possessions per game.
Kerr said that to counter that, it is not as simple as walking the ball up the floor on each possession.
“It’s not about playing slower, it’s about playing smarter,” Kerr remarked. “Way too many turnovers the other night against the Clippers, and we can’t have those careless turnovers tonight and expect to get away with it given their pace.”
The Warriors beat Memphis 134-125 in early April, with Curry scoring 52 points and making a dozen 3-pointers.
“I think we can draw a lot from that game, for example … allowing Curry to go for 52 points is not a winning recipe,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo quipped.
Kuminga’s role up in the air
After being a regular part of the rotation since coming back from a severe ankle injury in March, Jonathan Kuminga was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Clippers.
Kerr declined to say whether he had spoken to Kuminga about his role in the playoffs moving forward, shaking his head when asked. When questioned if he was concerned about Kuminga’s morale, Kerr kept things short.
“When you through the 82-game season, you factor in everything,” Kerr said. “You try to help everybody along, understanding where everyone is. When you get to the playoffs, everything goes out the window.”