The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers’ Core: Ultimate Roster Analysis and Predictions

By Bret Stuter

Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Injured Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) practices prior to a game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center. The New York Knicks won 109-102. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 12, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) makes a three point shot past the outstretched hand of Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) in the first half at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Philadelphia 76ers forward Robert Covington (33) makes a three point shot past the outstretched hand of Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) in the first half at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

Robert Covington

Status: Active, Very Versatile.  Can Theoretically start at three positions on team.
Contracted Through: 2018
Current 2016-2017 Salary:  $1,015,696
Trade Value:  Surprisingly, a late first or a productive veteran.

Strengths: Verstatile.  Covington was the glue of the team throughout the season.  He was Mr. Plug and Play in many positions, and throughout the course of the season fought through slumps to evolve as the best two way threat on the team so far.
Offense: He was the third leading scorer on the team, despite fighting through a mid season slump.  Of the shooters (small forward shooting guard) types, only Hollis Thompson had a more accurate three point shot.  He gradually improved throughout the course of the year, eventually ending in April 2016 with an average for the month of 18.1 points per game, while shooting 37.5 percent from long range.   While his accuracy dipped,  he still managed to finish 16th in the NBA with 170 three-point field goals.

Defense:  While much is made of his offensive inconsistencies, he has a solid presence on defense as well.  He was third on the team with 6.3 rebounds per game, second on steals with an average of 1.57 steals per game, and even generated .6 blocks per game.  Covington permitted opposing players to convert roughly 37.5 percent of their field goal attempts.  More specifically, Covington’s defense fared well in jump shot, isolation, and drive situations.

Weaknesses:  Perhaps the one weakness worth discussing is the plaugue of any generalist “Jack of all Trades, master of none”.  In his NBA career so far, he’s shown signs of potential at virtually all aspects of the game. But in that same token, he’s shown no elitism in any.  His 2015-2016 season was plagued with inconsistency, where he had to fight his way through a mid season slump where his scoring output fell to under 6.0 points per game.
Offense:  His perimeter accuracy declined, as teams began to focus on him as his offense improved. While his points per game improved, it was driven more from volume than better shot selection. His focus should be on improving all shooting accuracy this off-season.
Defense:  Defensively, Covington continued to show progress.  Since he is also an offensive leader of the team, he found his way to the court often. He does not shut down opposing players, but his steadfast harassment of active hands had him second on the team in steals per game.  If he works harder, he can lead the team this year.

Probability of 2016-2017 Roster:  He’s too good at too many positions, and his steady improvement and inexpensive price makes him a virtual lock at 90 percent.

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