Updated NCAA Bracket Projections

Sign Up for B/R Bracket Challenge

Philadelphia 76ers' Arnett Moultrie Needs Minutes, and He Needs Them Now

Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories
Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
Moultrie needs to be given an opportunity to see some court time.

The 76ers" target="_blank">Philadelphia 76ers have made mistake after mistake this year, but they shouldn't let Arnett Moultrie's lack of playing time be another one.

Every season there seems to be a couple of first-round draft picks that don't get their fair share of game experience. It feels like many of those players might have even had a shot at some successful minutes if they were just given the time.

All they need is some time.

The Sixers' Moultrie is one of those guys, and with less than a quarter of a season remaining, Philadelphia doesn't have time to waste. They need to give the rookie a shot.

Let's take a look at why Moultrie needs minutes, and why he needs them now.


Playing Time

Production is actually one of the easiest things to judge.

Here's the formula: Give somebody more playing time and measure their statistics and how they help a team. Then compare those numbers to what they did when they weren't getting those minutes. If their numbers rise and they make contributions toward helping a team win, then you've got somebody that can be considered as a productive player.

That wasn't so hard now was it?

All jokes aside, playing time is certainly what Moultrie needs in order for his production to be properly evaluated. The man is only averaging 9.4 minutes per game, but he's proven that he plays well when he's on the floor.

He has proven how productive he can be when given the minutes.

He has played 20 minutes or more in four games this season, averaging 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in those contests. Four games is a tiny sample size, but he's also played in only 30 games all year.

These aren't numbers that Philadelphia should ignore. It's time for the Sixers to take his play into consideration and give him more time on the court. 


Frontcourt Situation

It sounds crazy, but Philadelphia only has one player listed as a power forward on their roster.

That player happens to be Arnett Moultrie.

That alone should not be a reason to give him minutes. It should, however, make the Sixers look closely at their roster and consider their lack of frontcourt depth.

Thaddeus Young has been starting at power forward all season. There isn't anything wrong with playing a natural small forward at the 4, but it means that there's an opportunity to work Moultrie into the rotation.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Young is playing out of position, but it allows Philly to play different rotations.

Philly has the ability to move people around and put different players in different positions.

Kwame Brown and Andrew Bynum are effectively the same player right now. Neither one providing the organization with any statistical help. It's only his second year, but we pretty much know what we'll get out of Lavoy Allen on a nightly basis. These aren't throwaway players as much as they are rotation-fillers.

Philadelphia's frontcourt has more holes than Swiss cheese, so why not see if Moultrie can do his part in filling one of them?


Philadelphia's Record

Being eight-and-a-half games out of the eighth and final playoff spot isn't exactly where the Sixers were hoping they would be at. A 24-40 record has got to have the team looking forward to next season more than the one that they are currently in.

That is a big problem.

Is there really anything of substance worth playing for this year? No, a playoff spot is pretty much out of the question and there aren't any other team honors that are attainable. In fact, losing isn't even a bad thing as it means Philly would get a better chance at a higher draft pick.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
There is no time like right now to get him onto the court.

No opportunity at the postseason is the perfect reason to get Moultrie playing time. 

A rookie is only a rookie for one year. That sounds like some extremely basic logic, but it's an important reason for giving Moultrie more minutes. There is no excuse for the Sixers to take away any of his confidence by keeping him on the bench.

He needs the minutes and he needs them immediately.

There's no way to be sure, but Moultrie could potentially be a part of Philadelphia's future. It's pretty much impossible to know if that is the case without seeing what he can do in game situations.

The man needs to see the court and the Sixers have 18 games to make that happen.

Load More Stories

Follow Philadelphia 76ers from B/R on Facebook


Philadelphia 76ers

Subscribe Now

We will never share your email address

Thanks for signing up.