NBA Philadelphia 76ers

Robert Covington Becoming a Diamond In the Rough For Philadelphia 76ers

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By @Greg_Sacidor

Getty Images

Getty Images

During their rebuilding process, the Philadelphia 76ers have tried several times to find a diamond in the rough. Many of their attempts have failed, but Robert Covington looks poised to become the team’s first success story.

Since Sam Hinkie took over as general manager, the 76ers’ roster has been nothing short of a revolving door of talent. In an attempt to find someone who could be a part of the team’s long-term future, Hinkie and the 76ers have given glorified tryouts to several players. Lorenzo Brown, Dewayne Dedmon, Drew Gordon, Chris Johnson, Malcolm Lee, Eric Maynor, Darius Morris, Daniel Orton, Malcolm Thomas and Casper Ware were all guys given a shot by the 76ers. Most of them failed to show anything of interest and all of them were eventually cut or released. This seemed to render Hinkie’s experiment ineffective. That all changed earlier this year however with the signing of Covington.

As a member of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers last season, Covington was one of the hottest prospects in the entire NBA D-League. After a season in which he was named an All-Star, All-Star game MVP, Rookie of the Year and All-NBA D-League First Team, Covington looked ready to play in the NBA during the 2014-15 season. On Nov. 15, 2014 Covington’s dream came true as he signed with the 76ers.

At first, many on the outside saw Covington as nothing more than a guy who was just brought in to fill out the end of the bench. Early on this seemed true for Covington, as during his first eight games he only averaged 12.4 minutes per game. During this span, Covington managed to score in double figures only once. Slowly but surely, however, head coach Brett Brown seemed to gain more and more trust in his 6-foot-9 forward.

Since his first eight games, Covington has averaged 30.6 minutes per game. Throughout this stretch, he has averaged 18.5 points per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from behind the three-point line. These impressive shooting numbers have been the main reason why Covington has seen such an increase in minutes as of late.

During the entire length of the 76ers’ rebuilding process, the team has sorely lacked consistent outside shooting. When guys like Michael Carter-Williams and Tony Wroten drive to the basket, they have rarely had someone to kick the ball back out to. During his brief stint with the team, Covington has proven to be this guy. On the season, Covington is shooting 48 percent from three-point land — by far the best on the team. Currently the next best three-point shooter the team has is Hollis Thompson, who is shooting just over 33 percent.

As a guy who can effectively shoot the ball from the outside, Covington looks as though he can be an essential part of the 76ers’ future. By virtually receiving head coach Brown’s seal of approval, Covington not only looks ready to become a longtime member of the 76ers, but he also looks to become the first diamond in the rough for Hinkie as GM.

Greg Sacidor is a Philadelphia 76ers and NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.

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