As March Madness dominates the sports world this week, one player sure to draw some eyes is Moses Moody from Arkansas. The guard from Little Rock is listed in mock drafts anywhere from 7th to 12th, which is right in the OKC Thunder range. Could he be the Thunder’s top pick in 2021?
What kind of player is Moses Moody?
Moody has had a successful season in Fayetteville, where he has been the top dog for a team ranked as high as 8th this season. He is the third-leading freshman scorer in the country, averaging 17 points per game on 44/38/82 shooting splits.
When I had Moody on my podcast last year, we talked about his NBA future. His favorite player is Devin Booker, and there are certainly similarities there. Like Booker, Moody is a multi-level scorer with a smooth stroke both from three and the midrange.
Moody, like former OKC Thunder point guard Chris Paul, sees the midrange as an overlooked part of the modern game that can be exploited. During our interview, he told me:
“A lot of people are trying to rule out the midrange game because analytically it’s not as high quality as a layup or a three-pointer, but that midrange game is like a lost art.”
Moody models his midrange attack partly after CJ McCollum, but unlike the diminutive Blazers guard, Moody stands 6’6” with broad shoulders. His frame enables him to be a solid defender, a role he takes pride in.
Moses Moody’s fit with the OKC Thunder future core
Moody plays a team-first style. That mentality of buying into a role is evident any time Moody is on the floor. Unlike most lottery prospects, Moody is not a ball-dominant scoring machine always trying to be “the guy”. Having played with Cade Cunningham, his former roommate, and other top-level players at Montverde Academy, Moody has spent his formative years learning how to fit around talent.
He can be seen diving on the floor for loose balls. He’s a willing passer. He’s a surprisingly good rebounder, hauling in 6.3 boards per 36 minutes, including 2.3 on the offensive end.
Where Moody comes up short is as an offensive leader and playmaker. Arkansas plays a democratic style this year, but that’s not a matter of system. Last year, the team had a clear go-to guy in Mason Jones, now with the Houston Rockets, who averaged 22 points per game while using 32 percent of Arkansas’ possessions. Moody’s usage percentage this year stands at just 22 percent.
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Moody is certainly an efficient scorer, due in part to attempting 6.3 free throws per 36 minutes, but he has struggled to generate drives to the bucket for layups or dunks with the kind of regularity typically expected from a top-level playmaker. Having watched every Arkansas game this season, I would say he’s less Devin Booker, more Wesley Matthews.
Closing thoughts:
These traits might make Moody a good fit for the OKC Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is quickly developing into the kind of offensive centerpiece that NBA franchises crave. A prospect who is a solid defender, shooter and rebounder who buys into his role would be a good complementary piece.
If SGA is the queen on the Thunder’s chessboard, Presti is the king, and all the draft picks are pawns, just waiting to make it to the other side and get converted into something better.
The surest path to victory in chess is to convert a pawn into another queen, and while Moody may not be quite that powerful, he may prove to be a rook.