Comparing Philadelphia 76ers 1983 NBA Champs vs. 2018 roster

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 3: Ben Simmons #25, Robert Covington #33 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrate against the Indiana Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 3, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Small Foward Julius Erving vs. Robert Covington

Known and beloved by fans as “Doctor J.”, Julius Erving was a true NBA Superstar. Truly, the epitome of the Philadelphia 76ers dominance in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In the year the Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA Championship, Doctor J was elite at both the offensive and defensive side of the basketball court. It was his sixth season with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was deep into his prime. There is nobody on the Philadelphia 76ers roster who can compete with the great Doctor J. Yet.

Julius Erving was the one guy on the Philadelphia 76ers team who could take over a game. Literally. Not by ego, but by the love of the game and his team. He averaged 18.9 shots in a game, but 4.4 assists. He pulled down over eight rebounds, and averaged nearly two steals and two blocks a game over his career. But the career average of 24.2 points per game dominated in the NBA in his tim.

RoCo defends Philly well

Robert Covington is not Doctor J, nor does the Philadelphia 76ers need him to be. He is simply a good player on a good roster where the whoe 5-man lineup is better than the sum of the parts. When Julius Erving had the ball, he could score from anywhere. When Robert Covington gets the ball, he needs to be feet planted and clear to the basket. His offensive arsenal is not nearly as full as that of Erving. But he does deliver on defense.

And the role of yesteryear’s Iavaroni is now a similar role to Covington’s. Let’s face it, the NBA has changed. The power game of big bodies owning the basketball court has faded to the new metric of tall fast wing men launching an arsenal of three-point shots. To defend those scorers, the modern NBA team needs someone who can stay with them, block them, disrupt passing landes, and fast-hand punch the ball away. Covington can do all that. Plus he can score nearly 13 points a game. No, that’s now Julius Erving production. But it’s huge from a guy tasked with shutting down the best player on the opposing team.