The Philadelphia 76ers’ Robert Covington Couldn’t Be In A Better Situation

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Following an impressive rookie season in the D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Robert Covington had hopes of becoming a key contributor off of the Houston Rockets’ bench. But after a disappointing outing in the Summer League, he was amongst the Rockets’ final roster cuts heading into the 2014-2015 season. Luckily for him, he didn’t have to wait long for another opportunity to fall on his lap. Soon after the Grand Rapids Drive made him the top pick in the D-League draft, the Philadelphia 76ers came knocking on his door and gave him the perfect opportunity to find his feet in the NBA.

Covington is a three-point specialist. He averaged 23.1 points per game with the Vipers last season, and the bulk of his scoring came from the perimeter. However, while he thrived in the Vipers’ up-and-down system, he struggled to adapt to a reduced role. In the 11 games in which he attempted less than six threes last season, he shot just 26.7 percent from the perimeter. His play in the Las Vegas Summer League only reaffirmed that concern, with him making 32.1 percent of his 49 three-point attempts.

For the Rockets, who are on the prowl for players who can space the floor for James Harden and Dwight Howard, Covington found himself as an odd man out. He fit a need as a stretch four but they couldn’t afford to let him eat up a roster spot by developing in the D-League for another season, especially with the acquisitions of Clint Capela and Nick Johnson. It gave them no choice but to part ways with him.

In Philadelphia, though, Covington gets the best of both worlds by having the luxury of adjusting to the NBA while playing a role he is more comfortable with. Only eight teams in the NBA attempt more threes on a game-to-game basis than the 76ers (23.8), yet they rank dead last overall in percentage (29.9). In Covington, they have someone who can help resolve that issue. He’s able to get up and down the court with the guards and pick-and-pop to the perimeter, both of which make him a match-up nightmare for opposing power forwards. More importantly, they have the room to give him the minutes he needs to make a difference on the offensive end, and he has earned the trust of his head coach, Brett Brown, in the process.

In the last two games, Covington has made the most of those opportunities. He scored 17 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday and hit a big three down the stretch that helped them secure their first win of the season. Two nights later, he poured in a career-high 21 points in 28 minutes of play against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Over those two games, Covington combined to shoot 6-for-12 from three-point range.

The silver lining to the 76ers’ full-on tank is that it gives players an opportunity to develop on the big stage. Covington still has a long way to go before he becomes a reliable threat on a nightly basis, but he has NBA talent and the potential to develop into a role player in the years to come. He may not have been prepared to help the Rockets this season and it may not have been the best environment for him to tap into his full potential. But in Philadelphia, he finds himself in the perfect situation to prove himself.