After Summer League last year, I was optimistic about how PF Arnett Moultrie would contribute for the team. I thought that he could definitely be a regular contributor off the bench. He didn’t look too bad in his rookie season two years ago, getting to play in 47 games. But this year he spent most of the season in the D-League after struggling to even make the awful Sixers roster. Then he got suspended for 5 games, which is unacceptable, especially for a player that was barely on the roster. Not a good year for Moultrie.
While he did manage to start two games for them this past year, he only played in 12 games, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.9 RPG in about 15 minutes per contest. It’s not like he was needed to do a lot, but when he was in there, he wasn’t doing much. His shooting percentage dropped like a rock between his two seasons, going from 58% to 42%. His scoring and rebounding also both went down even though he received more minutes last season. And, to make matters worse, he had a dangerously low PER, finishing the season at a value of 6.71. To put that into perspective, of the 23 players that played for the Sixers last year, there were only two guys with a lower PER. That’s pathetic.
The saddest part about Moultrie is that the Sixers traded a future 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick in the 2012 draft to get him. So while the Sixers can’t be blamed for taking a guy like Moultrie, it’s even worse that they gave up multiple picks to get him. Has he been worth it? Um, no, definitely not.
In Moultrie’s two starts for the Sixers this past year, he severely under-performed. It’s not like he received limited minutes in those games, he actually received 31 and 28 minutes respectively. He combined for 12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals in those games. That’d be great for a single game, but when you see that he only had 6 points in each of those starts, it makes you scratch your head as to where he was. Essentially, it was as if he wasn’t even on the court.
Now, Moultrie’s contract has put him on the roster for next year already for a bit over $1.1 million. Not a ton of money, but a lot more than a player of Moultrie’s mediocrity deserves. And just because he already is signed for next year doesn’t mean they have to keep him. If they were smart, they’d get rid of him now. It’s one thing if a player takes a few years to get better, but Moultrie got worse after his first season. And got suspended. If he was on thin ice before that, I can’t imagine what he’s on now. Maybe they’ll let him play in the Summer League, but maybe not. I really don’t think he’s worth keeping around.
Verdict: release him after Summer League
