A trade-up candidate for the Knicks, Moses Moody has shown himself to be a jack of all trades and a lethal shooter. Could he be attainable for New York?

Position: Wing, Arkansas

Age: 19 (5/31/2002)

Height: 6 ft 6 in

Wingspan: 7 ft 1 in

Weight: 211 lbs.

Strickland 2021 Big Board Rank: 5

The Sales Pitch: Even if the numbers aren’t eye-popping, Moody has established himself as one of the best shooters in this year’s class, thanks to his combination of proficiency from deep as well as his shot diet, which consists of a variety of threes — off the catch, off the bounce, relocation, movement, etc. In addition to the long ball, Moody has established himself as a significant defensive presence with his plus-8 wingspan and his propensity to hound shooters with his overwhelming strength and positioning. He surprisingly got to the line a ton as well, posting a .482 free throw rate over his 32 games during his freshman campaign, including reaching the charity stripe 10-plus times in six games and at least seven times in 14 games.

Elite Traits/Skills: Wingspan, shooting, free throw rate

The Devil’s Advocate argument: For a player the Knicks may likely need to trade up for, you wish he did a little more on-ball so the development of his self-creation isn’t merely “beauty of the beholder.” The lack of passing is also a red flag, even if he was thrust into a primary offensive role that he would almost never be playing in the NBA. His inside the arc game is lacking, grading out as average shooting around the rim and poorly on runners/floaters. Failure to improve this aspect of his game may keep him as a rotation piece instead of a valued secondary/tertiary creator. Moody isn’t a nuclear athlete, nor does he have much of a handle either, making that development even more unlikely.

The Misconceptions: Moody isn’t completely inept at on-ball creation. Despite low volume, he was elite as a pick-and-roll ball handler (12 makes on 21 attempts), which bodes well for his potential as a creator. His midrange shooting is also something that can help in this aspect, as his efficiency was among the highest in the country. 

Important numbers:

• 5.8: The amount of free throws Moody took per game

• 21: The blocks Moody had in 32 games, indicating his potential as a defensive big wing

• 0.98: Moody’s assist-to-turnover ratio.

• 1.19: His points per possession (PPP) efficiency on midrange jumpers (interesting!)

• 0.53: His PPP efficiency on runners (interesting — in the bad way)

Knicks Fit: Peanut butter and jelly. Mac and cheese. Frosties and french fries. Few combos are better than Moses Moody and his prospective fit on the Knicks. Even if he never develops as an off-the-dribble threat, he is going to be a Day 1 contributor with his blend of shooting, size, and defense.