The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers Robert Covington is team’s enforcer

By Bret Stuter

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 13: Robert Covington #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after being called for a foul in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 13, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pacers defeated the 76ers 101-98. 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)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 13: Robert Covington #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after being called for a foul in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 13, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pacers defeated the 76ers 101-98. 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) /
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Philadelphia 76ers Robert Covington has transformed into one of the best defensive players in the NBA. Still, do fans overlook his contribution to team’s success?

Philadelphia 76ers Robert Covington has been with the Philadelphia 76ers since nearly the beginning of “The Process”. Undrafted, he plays a special role for the team. Of all the players selected by former team president Sam Hinkie, he talked at length about how he almost missed on getting Covington.

The upside potential of the young man who stands 6-foot-9, weighs in at 225, and boasts a wingspan of 7-foot-0 is virtually limitless. He’s always been incredibly versatile, and before the Ben Simmons and Dario Saric era, it was Covington who slid from shooting guard to center to fill in the gaps of those early Hinkie-Coach Brett Brown season. He was the duct-tape-guy. He patched up the lineup  for Coach Brown, wherever the team needed him on any given night.

Where Brown and Hinkie converged

Now, he performs a different role. He’s the defensive enforcer. All the while he was filling holes in the roster, Coach Brown was coaching him on defense. In fact, Coach Brown singled out both Robert Covington and Nik Stauskas as two-way players. Long before the team selected Ben Simmons or Markelle Fultz, Brown was developing the type of players needed.

Designing the eventual team roster was not simply Sam Hinkie’s mad genius at work. Much of the nuts and bolts in terms of roles and complimentary pieces sprang from the practical experience of Coach Brown. Brown assisted for San Antonio Spurs Gregg Poppovich, and learned the value of defense in aiming at NBA Championship play. But great NBA defense is a learned skill, one that requires more dedication and effort than scoring. Hinkie wanted to build a true championship team. But it was Coach Brown who built the team according to the specs. He developed Covington’s defensive expertise. The 2017-2018 Philadelphia 76ers success has been years in the making.