Robert Covington Not Enjoying 2016

From his hot start in late November when returning from injury, Robert Covington appeared to be setting the standards for Philadelphia 76ers. But December chill cooled off the young man from Tennessee State, and so far 2016 has been abysmal.

Small forward Robert Covington’s NBA season so far has been two chapters: “I’m here and playing great!” and the next chapter “Holiday Blues “.  Unfortunately, the second chapter is the here and now. So far, it’s being written like a tragedy.

The drop began mid December, when Robert Covington could only muster three points on 20% shooting from the floor. An anomaly? He scored five points his next night out on two of nine shooting from the floor. Next came an eight point night on three of nine shooting, then a nine point night on three of eight shooting. Then a shutout on a night where he shot zero of seven from the floor. More games followed, with scores of eight, nine, ten, two and zero. In the month of December, Covington shot 36.9%. In January 2016, he is actually shooting 40%. But that is three games, 46 minutes played, with just four out of ten shooting.

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In a game on December 22, the normally sure handed Covington surrendered six turnovers in one game.  Has Covington noticed his slump and answered back?

Covington is not the first player in the NBA to undergo a slump. Nik Stauskas turned ice cold and has since rebounded. Jahlil Okafor slumped when his off-court escapades made national news, as did Nerlens Noel, and practically each member of the Philadelphia 76ers roster. But the slumps have been short in duration.

Philadelphia 76er head coach Brett Brown is not overly concerned about Covington’s slump. He’s seen slumps before in the NBA.

"“I just think it’s life. I think it’s probably more noticeable when you’re a shooter, because you’re not making shots like you used to. I’ve had defensive oriented players be in slumps, but nobody even knows. [Covington’s] is a lot easier to judge. He’s just got to do what he does. He’s got to shoot the ball, and some will go in and some won’t, and back himself, and then base everything that he’s doing on defense. If he can control that, which he can, then I think the chances of shots falling are much greater.” – head coach Brett Brown talks about Robert Covingtons slump."

The trouble with the Sixers current roster is the unfamiliarity of each player with the other. When Ish Smith returned, there was an immediate boost to the team due to the relationships Smith had already developed with other teammates. A year ago, a slumping Covington would be picked up by teammate Tony Wroten. Wroten was slumping himself this season after returning from an injury. To make room for the return of Ish Smith, Wroten was cut. Now, Covington’s slump is lingering.

So what’s going wrong? Confidence.  Poor shot selection.  Perhaps just bad random luck.

On a team with a very small margin of error, Robert Covington has given Brett Brown no choice but to shave his playing time until he works through the issues. Averaging 26 minutes per game in a very busy December, his minutes have been cut to 15 per game now. In the 2014-2015 season, he had a small mini-slump of three games, but rebounded nicely afterwards.

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He can do so again.  This is not the first time the outlook has been bleak.  Despite the lull in offensive production, his game remains consistent in terms of rebounds assists and steals.  This is merely his second season in the NBA, and it takes time to get into the NBA “groove”.  Covington can play a key role in the 2016 roster.   To do so, he needs to rediscover his shooting.  The month of January is crucial for Covington to get back onto track.