Covington not just defensive player
Undrafted Robert Covington has been one of the less touted players for the Philadelphia 76ers in his career. As the NBA continues to push points per game and three-point shooting as a byproduct of the Golden State Warriors “Splash Brothers”, Covington has walked the path less travelled. He is from the Coach Brown old-school, where “3-and-D” is the premium role. On a team with fast-pace, lots of ball movement, and perimeter shooting, defense is an unspoken theme.
Notsomuch so for head coach Brett Brown. You can bet he is heavily invested in ensuring defense is on the minds of his players. But that defense is just part of the equation. Covington has offensive potency as well.
Covington clinic night
On a night where he shined defensively, he nova’d offensively. His 22 points emphasized the true nature of his performance. He hit on 5-9 from three point range, and 7-11 from the floor to help him lead the team in scoring. Now that the NBA playoffs loom large on the horizon, it’s important for players to peak.
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We’d identified Ben Simmons as a key to strong post season play. We had identified RoCo even earlier, but on the offensive side of the court. Now Covington is begining to peak as well. That is an important step to post-season readiness. As the Philadelphia 76ers starters begin to fourish this late, there is every reason to expect a carry-over into a playoff scenario. That bodes well for this Philadelphia 76ers team. But even moreso, it is an indication to the rest of the NBA not to take the 76ers lightly.