I wrote this over the weekend for Pattison Ave., but didn't get a chance to get it up on ATA until now.
The Sixers' streak-snapping victory over the Nets last night didn't change anything, the team should use the rest of the season to see what Moultrie, and other unproven players are made of:
"With last night’s loss in Miami, it seems pretty safe to say
that the Sixers will be missing the playoffs this season. No, they’re
not mathematically eliminated, but their inconsistent and uninspiring
play doesn’t lead one to believe that they can string together the
serious winning streak that it would take to make a playoff push.
However, instead of focusing on a forgettable season, management and
fans alike should try to pull the positives out of the remaining
2012-2013 campaign.
One such positive is the increased exposure and promising play of
rookie Arnett Moultrie, who has been buried on the bench for much of the
season.
Moultrie, who spent a single season at Mississippi State after two at
UTEP, had an ankle injury that sidelined him at the beginning of the
season. Struggling to learn a new system while rehabbing proved
difficult for Arnett, who saw very little action in the opening months
of the season.
On top of this, Coach Doug Collins is notorious for withholding
playing time from young players, as he did with Evan Turner, a number
two overall pick, during his first two seasons. This aspect of his
approach to coaching is among the most criticized of Coach Collins and
in all likelihood, Collins probably wouldn’t have played Moultrie major
minutes if he were completely healthy and comfortable with the Sixers’
system.
Throughout the first half of the season the Sixers were very much in
the playoff picture. They were also still under the impression that
Bynum would eventually be back to help the team with the playoff push,
making it even more unlikely that an unproven rookie could crack
Collin’s rotation.
Now that it’s clear that Bynum probably won’t be back and the Sixers
have little more than an outside shot at an eight seed however, Collins
feels he has little left to lose, might as well see what Moultrie is
made of.
Moultrie’s minutes have shot up substantially over the past two
months, going from a mere 3.5 minutes per game in January to a full
fifteen minutes per contest thus far this month. Though his numbers for
the month of March aren’t overwhelming; 6 points, 3.8 rebounds per, they
represent improvements and an increasing confidence in his own play.
In his limited time on the court, Moultrie has shown that he can play
hard on each end of the floor, and he happens to have a great nose for
the ball; he often seems to be in the right place at the right time. He
has demonstrated a prowess for offensive rebounding (2.4 a game during
the month of March) and securing extra possessions for the Sixers as
well.
Though his post game needs to be polished and he needs to develop
some semblance of a jump shot, Moultrie is a good finisher, and can put
down a put-back or an alley-oop without a problem. He is extremely
athletic for his size as well, which will help his development and
utility for the team.
With continued development, Moultrie might be able to morph into a
Josh Smith type player, which would be great for the future of the
franchise. But in order to improve, Moultrie needs to continue to get
minutes, and if he does, his development may serve as one of the few
bright spots for the Sixers this season."
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