Is This the Reason Arnett Moultrie Isn't Playing?

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Coming out of the All-Star Break, the chief complaint hurled at Sixers coach Doug Collins — among the many — has been his refusal to play 2012 draft pick Arnett Moultrie.

AU addressed the topic at length last week, after Moultrie sat with the first of two DNP-CDs in three games — and before Collins' blowup Tuesday night.

While there's little arguing that Doug was right about his team's lack of effort, his comments on the performance of Nik Vucevic against that of Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen proved frustrating for multiple reasons.

Collins has a long and documented history of giving rookies very little run. He kept Vucevic on the bench for much of last season's second half and is now doing the same to Moultrie, who has played just 13 minutes in four games since the break.

So what gives? CSNPhilly's John Finger slipped a possible explanation into his story from Wednesday afternoon:

Maybe Andrew Bynum will play.

Maybe Evan Turner will develop some type of consistency and figure out what type of style best accentuates his skill set.

Maybe Spencer Hawes will reemerge as the red-hot, two-way player he was at the start of last season.

Maybe Lavoy Allen will find a motor and maybe rookie Arnett Moultrie will get into shape.

The rest of his article details how the Sixers don't score in the paint, don't get out in transition, don't go the foul line and do shoot the most mid-range jumpers in the NBA. We've addressed those points twice (here and here) within the last year.

But the bit about Moultrie still being out of shape — after six months — that's new.

It would even prove an adequate explanation if Collins hadn't already lost, with many Sixers fans, the benefit of the doubt on this specific issue.

Either way, somebody go get Arnett the anti-gravity treadmill Bynum's been using ... and then add a whole lot of gravity.

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