Philadelphia 76ers: 3 key observations after first 10 games
By Simon Smith
3. Continued rise of Robert Covington
Covington has come a long way since being undrafted out of Tennessee State. Having made gradual steps in his first three seasons with the Sixers, Covington has taken his game to the next level this season.
Through 10 games, the 26-year-old is averaging 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 30.5 minutes per game. Most notably, Covington is shooting a career-best 48.6 percent from the field, and a career-best 50.0 percent from 3-point range. After not breaking 40 percent from both the field and 3-point range through his first three seasons in Philadelphia, these numbers represent a significant upgrade.
In addition to his phenomenal efficiency on the offensive end, Covington has retained his renowned tenacity at the defensive end. Overall, he is ranked fourth in the league in deflections at 3.5 per game, sixth in 3-point shot contests at 4.3 per game, and 21st in loose balls recovered at 1.2 per game.
With introduction of Simmons into the starting lineup, this has allowed Covington to spend more time at the 4, where his length and versatility can be even further utilized. As head coach Brett Brown recently explained:
"“I think it’s his position that’s helping him. When you play Cov at a three, he’s got two and three men guarding him. He can play that, but he has different defensive players guarding him when he’s a two and a three. His shots are coming pin-down ish, coming off instead of going forward and trailing into it. I think that has a lot to do with it. Go back and look at his success, him running in trail and just rising up…our spacing I think encourages him to tap into that skill set.”"
The Sixers have so far been an incredible 24.8 points per 100 possessions better off when Covington has been on the floor. Additionally, he is currently ranked third in the league with 10.2 catch-and-shoot points per game, from which he is converting with a 71.8 effective field goal percentage.
So as the Sixers continue to rise up the standings, Covington’s development will certainly have a great impact on how far they progress.