November 16, 2015
Over the weekend, Robert Covington didn’t travel with the Sixers on their road trip to Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Brett Brown still found a way to put the third-year swingman to work, though.
Covington’s assignment? Text his coach one observation by both halftime and the end of each game. So what was the expert analysis of his winless team?
“We’ve been in the games, it’s just that we get stagnant [offensively] at times and run out of gas for a little bit,” Covington said.
“There’s going to be a little bit of rust, considering I haven’t really played up and down as much as everybody else,” Covington said. “So there’s going to be some rust there, but coach is going to put me in the right situations during the game to help me get back in a rhythm.”
Brown won’t have to get creative to keep Covington engaged against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, as he’s scheduled to return to the lineup after missing the last seven games. Covington’s minutes will be restricted, which makes sense considering he aggravated a strained right MCL the day after his only game action of the year two weeks ago. No word on if he’ll be in the starting lineup.
Covington expressed satisfaction with his rehab over the weekend in Philadelphia, but he admits there might be an adjustment period. In his only game of the year (Nov. 2nd against Cleveland), Covington shot 1-9 from the field.
“There’s going to be a little bit of rust, considering I haven’t really played up and down as much as everybody else,” Covington said. “So there’s going to be some rust there, but coach is going to put me in the right situations during the game to help me get back in a rhythm.”
Rust or no rust, inserting Covington back into the lineup is a huge deal for what is statistically the worst offense in the NBA by a mile. The 6’9” forward’s ability to stretch the floor and draw attention from opposing defenses makes everyone around him better.
Last year, the Sixers’ offense was 6.1 points per 100 possessions better when Covington was on the floor. They essentially went from your run-of-the-mill worst offense in the league to almost completely unable to score. It’s like the difference between playing on All-Madden difficulty and something even more difficult than All-Madden (which, of course, doesn’t exist).
The main difference between now and then is the addition of Jahlil Okafor. From the bench, Covington says he has picked up on how to play alongside the team’s new low-post threat.
“I’ve seen a lot, how teams are guarding him and how he commands double teams, just finding the right positions to be in,” Covington said. “He’s done a significant job of finding guys and also getting himself going as well so it’s just a matter of getting out there with him.”
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
