NBA Draft 2012: Philadelphia 76ers Must Grab Big Man No Matter What

After losing to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, one thing was evident, the Philadelphia 76ers could really use a scoring big man.

While that wasn't their biggest issue in the series, the Sixers are going to need a young scoring talent down low to improve their future chances of winning.

Doug Collins relied heavily on Elton Brand in the series, but he is 33 years old and won't be able to assert himself down low for much longer. Spencer Hawes is adequate under the rim, but he put up 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game this season. It will be interesting to see how Lavoy Allen develops in the future, as he showed flashes of mediocrity this postseason, but he's not going to be a viable option next season.

If Brand wasn't aging, this big man problem wouldn't be a big deal. If Hawes could effectively create for himself on a nightly basis, this wouldn't be a problem. And if Collins trusted Allen to be in the game for more than 20 minutes, this wouldn't be a problem.

None of those are the case though, so the Sixers need to go after an offensive big man like Arnett Moultrie out of Mississippi State. 

Moultrie can score from inside and outside, and he moves extremely well for a guy who is 6'11". That gives him the size to play center, while it also gives him the versatility to play power forward. The Sixers don't have a lot of smaller guys who are the best passers, so Moultrie's NBA-ready low-post game will bode well for Collins' offense.

He has a great spin move and uses the combination of his agility and newly-added strength to get open looks on his defenders. The scary thing about Moultrie is that he has the ability to play small forward as well, but has a frame better suited for the low post. From his time as a small forward, he polished his perimeter shot and is still able to run by less agile defenders.

He also has great speed, which will fit in well with the young runners on the Philadelphia roster. He also seems comfortable with falling back into a role-player spot, which is perfect for the Sixers, as they don't really have one guy who runs the show every night.

He exhibits a plethora of shots in his arsenal, showcasing a hook shot and a baseline jumper, as well as the ability to make turnaround shots. He's also great at scoring after he initiates contact in the air.

Not only is he a good perimeter shooter, he's also a good perimeter defender. The Sixers already have Andre Iguodala to stop smaller guys on the perimeter, and if they are able to add Moultrie, they'll have a 6'10" perimeter defender to neutralize the big men in the league who can shoot.

The future in Philadelphia looks bright, but it would be shining much brighter if the organization can add Moultrie to their roster during the NBA draft.