#3 Moses Moody – Guard – Arkansas
A lot of the talk about this year’s NBA Draft is about how talented the top players in this draft class are, but there are a ton of other names that are classified as first-round picks that have a ton of potential to become a key talent in the league. One of these first-round talents with a lot of potential is Moses Moody out of Arkansas.
The 6’6” guard helped lead Arkansas to the Elite-8 for the first time since 1995 and he was among the nation’s best shooters all season long in college. For the Razorbacks, Moody averaged 16.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and shot 35.8% from three-point range, which does not seem high, but he took over 5 three-point attempts per game.
Not only does he have the size to be a perfect match for the “modern day” shooting guard in the NBA, but Moses Moody uses his size and strength to score over smaller defenders either from the perimeter or on the drive. At the next level, Moody will definitely need to get strong in order to get the shots that he wants, especially on the drive, but this can be said about many prospects coming out of college and is not a major concern.
He is an elite level perimeter player and his game will easily translate to the next level as a result. Overall, Moses Moody is the ideal “catch-and-shoot” shooting guard in today’s NBA and whether it is running to a spot in transition or stepping out on the perimeter in a half-court set, the young guard always seems to find an open spot on the court and his high release makes it hard for opponents to contest his shot.
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If there is one team in this draft that desperately needs some scoring threats from the perimeter, it is the New Orleans Pelicans. They shot just 34.8% from deep as a team this past season and one of their biggest weaknesses was that all of their offensive production came from inside the arc.
Moving forward with Ingram and Zion as their two focal points, the Pelicans are going to continue to put an emphasis on scoring in the paint, but they need to be able to space the floor and have knock down shooters that their two All-Stars can kick the ball out to.
Moses Moody is this kind of player the Pelicans are searching for in terms of perimeter-oriented talent and he brings a lot to the table in their system. Who knows what kinds of changes the Pelicans will have offensively with a new head coach, but if they bring back Lonzo Ball, they will still have the same philosophy of attacking teams in transition and attacking them in the paint.
As a catch-and-shoot threat on the perimeter, Moses Moody could really thrive in New Orleans, especially since all the attention will be on guys like Ingram and Zion. Teams will collapse on them when they attack the paint, leaving a guy like Moody wide-open in the corner or out on the wing for an open three-point attempt.
Not to mention, he and Kira Lewis Jr. could make up a young, athletic backcourt of the future for the Pelicans to play around with, especially if they are unable to bring back Lonzo Ball in free agency. He is not the Pelicans “dream draft choice,” but Moses Moody could definitely aid New Orleans in areas of the court that they need to focus on in this draft.
