After a productive year, Arkansas Razorback star Moses Moody enters the 2021 NBA Draft with plenty of admirers. He averaged 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 42.7% shooting, 35.8% from three, and 82.7% from the line. Moody is one of the best three-and-D players in this year’s draft class.
NBA Draft Profile: Arkansas Razorback Moses Moody
College
Moody entered College with an impressive pedigree playing for one of the greatest high school teams in history. The team featured potential lottery picks Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, and draft hopeful Day’Ron Sharpe. He played as an excellent glue man on that squad and came to Arkansas as one of the main attractions.
With the Razorbacks, Moody had his best games against Texas A&M and South Carolina in back-to-back outings. He combined for 56 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists on 53.5% shooting, 63.3% from three, and 91.6% from the line. Moody was hitting everything in those two games, scoring in isolation, off screens, on drives, and curls. These were easily his biggest flashes of the college season.
In the NCAA Tournament, Moody was solid in wins over Colgate and Texas Tech in the first two rounds. However, in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, his shot went south. He averaged 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds on 20% shooting and 86.6% from the line but failed to land a 3-point shot. Moody played solid defense in both games but couldn’t get free on offense, often forcing shots over opponents. Unfortunately, Arkansas was eliminated in the Elite Eight by Baylor 81-72.
It was a disappointing finish to a solid freshman season but Moody possesses skills that will translate directly over to the NBA.
Strengths
Shooting
Moses Moody has one of the most consistently smooth strokes in the class, remaining balanced whether he’s on the move or stationary. He was used regularly in pin downs and curls from all areas of the floor and was a lethal shooter in transition. Moody showed logo-type range and was regularly relied on to make tough shots on low shot clocks.
While he only made 35.8% of his attempts, Moody has tremendous upside as a shooter. He was Arkansas’ primary offensive option, a role he’s not suited to at this stage. As a secondary option, I suspect Moody’s percentages will rise.
Defense
Moody has the largest height to wingspan ratio in this year’s class. At 6 feet, 4 inches, he has a mammoth 7-foot-1-inch wingspan that he uses to disrupt opponents’ drives, creates steals and turnovers, and blocks shots. Additionally, he has fast feet and excellent anticipatory skills that help him compensate for his lack of athleticism.
The 19-year-old possesses a high IQ and knows where to be on the court at all times. Moody has fantastic spatial awareness and understanding of team defensive schemes, allowing him to cover up defensive mistakes by teammates.
These attributes are some of the reasons why he is coveted at the best three-and-D prospect in this class.
Weaknesses
Athleticism
As I alluded to earlier, Moody doesn’t possess level high-athleticism and struggles to recover against fast opponents. He is prone to playing too high on his match-ups, giving free lanes to the bucket. Moody’s length is a wonderful equalizer in college, allowing him to recover for some emphatic blocks. However, elite-level NBA handlers are savvy, using the rim as protection to avoid recovery defensive plays.
He will likely need to guard handlers like Trae Young, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook who all have deep bags. If they penetrate the defense, Moody will have a hard time recovering.
Projection: 7-10
Moses Moody possesses a ton of potential that was untapped at Arkansas. His physical tools are outstanding as a three-and-D prospect and he shows plenty of upside as a scorer at the next level.
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Moody stands to be one of the best prospects in this class and will make an immediate impact for whoever selects him.
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