Somewhat lost amidst the noise of the emerging Philadelphia 76ers has been the sublime play of versatile forward Robert Covington.
After a slow start to his 2016-17 campaign, Robert Covington was intent on starting this season with a bang. His opening night performance of 29 points on 7-of-11 from 3-point range may not have gotten the Philadelphia 76ers over the line, but it certainly stamped Covington’s place as an integral piece of the Sixers moving forward.
While defense has always been Covington’s calling card, averaging just 7.8 points on 28.3 percent shooting from the field over his first 17 games last season was clearly cause for concern. To the benefit of both Covington and the Sixers, the 26-year-old turned things around, averaging 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals for the remainder of the season.
So impressive was Covington’s start to this season that the Sixers’ front office rewarded him with a four-year, $62 million deal, which included a unique $15 million renegotiation bump of his $1.57 million salary this season. As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported:
"The $15 million renegotiation is the largest single-season figure negotiated since that became an available contractual avenue in the NBA."
Through 22 games this season, the 6’9″ Covington is averaging 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 31.7 minutes per game. Having not broken the 40 percent shooting barrier through his first three seasons with the Sixers, Covington is converting at a 44.4 percent clip from the field, and 42 percent from long range.
But following his hot start to the season, Covington recently had a cold streak, with some off-court personal issues certainly playing a part. During this six-game stretch, Covington struggled mightily in averaging 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds on just 31.8 percent shooting from the field, which include hitting at a lowly 23.3 percent clip from 3-point range.
Despite this tough stretch, Covington continued to back himself, in a similar vein to the beginning of last season.
As a result, he was rewarded with an exemplary performance against the Detroit Pistons. Playing 38 minutes, Covington posted 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Notably, he connected on 6-of-13 looks from long range, and had a net rating of +15.9 while on the floor. Over the course of the season, Covington leads the Sixers in net rating at +8.4 per game.
As head coach Brett Brown noted recently:
"“We’ve all seen how Robert responds. He went through a massive slump at the start of last year, and Philly was on him. They were on him.”"
Naturally, Covington himself was delighted with his bounce-back performance:
"“I played with a clear mind tonight, it felt good to see a couple of early shots go in….see the reaction of my teammates and everything….seeing that made me feel like I’m getting back to my old self.”"
So where in particular is Covington excelling?
Knowing his limitations
Possibly Covington’s best attribute is knowing his role and playing within his limitations. He’s the furthest thing from an isolation player who dribbles the air out of the ball while his teammates stand and watch.
Thus far this season, Covington ranks last on the Sixers’ roster in averaging just 0.43 dribbles per touch. In fact overall, despite ranking fourth on the team in scoring, Covington ranks eighth on the Sixers for time of possession at 1.3 minutes per game. Furthermore, the Tennessee State product is just eighth on the team in drives at 2.5 per game.
While these are the areas he clearly avoids, the following demonstrates just where Covington is doing his damage.
Letting it fly
Overall, Covington presently ranks fourth in the league in 3-pointers made at 3.2 per game, while also ranking seventh in attempts at 7.7 per game.
But when breaking things down further, here is where Covington ranks in certain areas overall:
- 3-point attempts with 0 dribbles: 1st (7.1 per game)
- Spot up points: 2nd (6.1 per game)
- 3-point attempts 0-2 seconds touch time: 1st (7.4 per game)
- Catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts: 1st (7.2 per game)
These numbers clearly illustrate Covington’s inclination to catch and shoot with little movement or hesitation, which makes him such a deadly proposition on this Sixers team.
Accompanied by Ben Simmons at the point, center Joel Embiid down low, and veteran marksman J.J. Redick, Covington’s ability to space the floor and get his shot up in a flash makes the Sixers’ offense of the more dangerous in the league.
Second chance points
Another notable contribution from Covington has been his proficiency on second-chance points. Through 22 games, Covington is currently ranked first in the league in 3-point attempts with 24-22 seconds remaining on the shot clock.
Almost always made via an offensive rebound, Covington’s ability to get these shots off quickly while the defense is unsettled and frazzled is important. The following clips are examples of his ability to let fly after an offensive rebound:
Defensive Impact
In addition to his 3-point shooting, Covington’s calling card has been his impact on the defensive end of the floor. At 6’9″ with a 7’2″ wingspan, Covington presents coach Brown with a number of options due to his ability to defend multiple positions.
Currently, here is where Covington ranks among the league leaders:
- Steals: 1.6 per game (22nd)
- Deflections: 3.4 per game (5th)
Thus far this season, Covington has already had four games in which he has nabbed four steals, with a further six games of two steals. Additionally, he is averaging 0.7 blocks per game.
Furthermore, Covington presently has a defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 100.8, which ranks sixth among all forwards who are averaging at least 30 minutes per game. Notably, the Sixers are 6.7 points per 100 possessions better off defensively when Covington is on the court. The following clips exemplify Covington’s versatility at the defensive end of the floor.
Considering the makeup of the Sixers, Covington’s skill-set represents a perfect complement for the surrounding pieces at coach Brown’s disposal.
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Having come to the league undrafted, and still just 26 years of age, there’s no reason to believe Covington can’t take his game to another level in the coming years.