Moses Moody's season is over. The Golden State Warriors guard was diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and will undergo surgery, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Monday [1]. The injury, suffered during Saturday's loss to Sacramento, ends what had been a career-best campaign for the 23-year-old.

Moody was averaging 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 39% from three — all career highs — and had become the Warriors' most reliable perimeter scorer behind Stephen Curry [2]. His absence leaves a 32-33 team clinging to the Western Conference play-in picture with 17 games remaining.

Golden State's options are thin. Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield will absorb additional minutes on the wing, but neither replicates Moody's two-way versatility. The Warriors rank 22nd in bench scoring, and head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged the team has "no easy answers" in his post-practice comments [2].

The timing is brutal. Golden State sits ninth in the West, one game ahead of San Antonio for the final play-in spot. The remaining schedule includes road games against Oklahoma City, Denver, and Minnesota — three of the conference's top four teams [1].

Moody's recovery timeline is typically 6-9 months for a torn patellar tendon, meaning he should be ready for training camp in October. For this season, though, the Warriors must figure out how to score without one of their best young players.

-- AMARA OKONKWO, Lagos