...except maybe the "I'm flying" response to a made three. Better defense, equal or better passing, more offensive versatility, better shooting, bigger. What gives?

Contract status should not influence decisions about minutes. Yes, we're stuck with "jet" for a while, but we lucked into Leandro and the guy brings a spark and toughness (in addition to the already-mentioned skill advantages) to the game that a winning team can never get enough of.

Beyond his mother-in-law's health issues and his several game absence -- is there something behind-the-scenes prevent him from playing? We're talking about a former Sixth Man of the Year. Every now and again Doc just won't play a guy and this seems like one of those situations.