Ranking every Philadelphia 76ers player on the 2018-19 roster

4. Robert Covington

I’m not sure there’s an better athlete in Philadelphia that receives the level of maligned scrutiny like Robert Covington.

The Boston Celtics series gave lots of ammo to the anti-Covington army. With the exception of Game 2, he rarely looked like himself. A poor series is not enough to forget how impactful Robert Covington is.

They don’t just give out First Team All-Defense selections like they’re candy.

Robert Covington is an elite defender that nearly shot 37 percent from three. You can’t sleepwalk and wind up with 1.7 steals per game, a true shooting percentage of .563, and a defensive rating of 103 (12th in the NBA).

There aren’t many stats or reasons to suggest Robert Covington is not a good basketball player. Robert Covington has used his maniacal work ethic to climb out of the NBA’s basement, and has evolved into a premier 3-and-D player with a four-year, $62 million contract extension in tow.

Covington has improved year-by-year, ever since his debut with Houston in 2013. There is no reason to expect Covington won’t continue his upward trend. Playmakers like Markelle Fultz and Landry Shamet will only add to the Sixers’ pass-happy offense, and create opportunities for Covington to hit threes.

Robert Covington was fourth on our list with good reason. He’s a lanky, intelligent, competitive defender that loves doing the dirty work. Cov loves launching threes (sometimes ill-advised), and has a knack for big shots.

If you’re a Robert Covington devotee, then 2018 may be the best year yet. If you’re ready to run him out of town, you’re just wrong.

— AJ Iezzi