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  4. title => "Robert Covington's production continues to fly under radar for Sixers"
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  6. article_body => "<p>Dario Saric is the prototypical underrated Sixer. He hustles, makes big shots, gets overshadowed by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.<\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t forget about Robert Covington.<\/p>\n<p>On the surface, 12.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game is not an incredible stat line for somebody making nearly $17 million this season.<\/p>\n<p>Yet Covington has a massive, positive impact on the Sixers. Even if you appreciate all the little things&nbsp;Covington does, all the deflections he gets defensively&nbsp;and spacing he creates offensively, the numbers are hard to believe.<\/p>\n<p>During the Sixers\u2019 13-game winning streak, their longest since the 1984-85 season, the Sixers have a 25.8 net rating in the 381 minutes Covington has played. During the 243 minutes he\u2019s been on the bench, their net rating is minus-4.3.<\/p>\n<p>While those ridiculous numbers can in part be attributed to a small sample size, the Sixers have still been much better when Covington is on the court&nbsp;than when he\u2019s on the sidelines. Overall, he has a 10.6 net rating. When he\u2019s on the sidelines, the Sixers\u2019 net rating is minus-4.7.<\/p>\n<p>The No. 1 reason Covington has that large of an effect on the Sixers is his defense. He\u2019s often tasked with guarding the opposing team\u2019s best player, and though he sometimes gets burned, he usually holds his own.<\/p>\n<p>His 99.6 defensive rating is fourth in the league, ahead of even Embiid. When Covington is on the court, matched up against the opposition\u2019s biggest threat, players like JJ Redick and Marco Belinelli don\u2019t get exposed on defense, as they often did against LeBron James in Friday night\u2019s dramatic 132-130 win <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/philadelphia\/76ers\/sixers-survive-statement-win-over-cavaliers-take-no-3-seed\" target=\"_blank\"><em><strong>(see observations)<\/strong><\/em><\/a>. Covington\u2019s defensive prowess does show in at least one traditional stat \u2014 his 1.7 steals per game are ninth in the NBA.<\/p>\n<p>Offensively, it\u2019s harder to pinpoint Covington\u2019s impact. He\u2019s a good, not great, long-range shooter (37.0 percent from three-point territory on 6.9 attempts per game). Since the majority of Covington\u2019s shots are from deep, however, he\u2019s probably often perceived as a less efficient player than he actually is.<\/p>\n<p>The fact he is a legitimate three-point threat that defenses have to guard also shouldn\u2019t be discounted, since it opens up space for Embiid and Simmons to operate.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps one explanation for why Covington is underrated lies in when he tends to have his worst games \u2014 Sixers\u2019 losses. Covington has shot 35.7 percent from the field in losses this season, compared to 44.8 percent in wins. His net rating in wins is 19.9. In losses, it\u2019s minus-5.4.<\/p>\n<p>That stat gives some insight into why Covington is often the scapegoat when the Sixers lose, whereas he flies under the radar when they win. After a loss, it makes sense that your first instinct is to blame the guy who missed a bunch of threes and didn\u2019t seem to do much else. And after a win, it makes sense to praise Simmons for another sensational triple-double, or Embiid for another dominant performance.<\/p>\n<p>But when you take a step back and look at what Covington means to the Sixers, there\u2019s no way this team would be in the midst of a 13-game winning streak and third in the Eastern Conference without him.<\/p>\n"
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76ers

76ers

Dario Saric is the prototypical underrated Sixer. He hustles, makes big shots, gets overshadowed by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

But don’t forget about Robert Covington.

On the surface, 12.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game is not an incredible stat line for somebody making nearly $17 million this season.

Yet Covington has a massive, positive impact on the Sixers. Even if you appreciate all the little things Covington does, all the deflections he gets defensively and spacing he creates offensively, the numbers are hard to believe.

During the Sixers’ 13-game winning streak, their longest since the 1984-85 season, the Sixers have a 25.8 net rating in the 381 minutes Covington has played. During the 243 minutes he’s been on the bench, their net rating is minus-4.3.

While those ridiculous numbers can in part be attributed to a small sample size, the Sixers have still been much better when Covington is on the court than when he’s on the sidelines. Overall, he has a 10.6 net rating. When he’s on the sidelines, the Sixers’ net rating is minus-4.7.

The No. 1 reason Covington has that large of an effect on the Sixers is his defense. He’s often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player, and though he sometimes gets burned, he usually holds his own.

His 99.6 defensive rating is fourth in the league, ahead of even Embiid. When Covington is on the court, matched up against the opposition’s biggest threat, players like JJ Redick and Marco Belinelli don’t get exposed on defense, as they often did against LeBron James in Friday night’s dramatic 132-130 win (see observations). Covington’s defensive prowess does show in at least one traditional stat — his 1.7 steals per game are ninth in the NBA.

 

Offensively, it’s harder to pinpoint Covington’s impact. He’s a good, not great, long-range shooter (37.0 percent from three-point territory on 6.9 attempts per game). Since the majority of Covington’s shots are from deep, however, he’s probably often perceived as a less efficient player than he actually is.

The fact he is a legitimate three-point threat that defenses have to guard also shouldn’t be discounted, since it opens up space for Embiid and Simmons to operate.

Perhaps one explanation for why Covington is underrated lies in when he tends to have his worst games — Sixers’ losses. Covington has shot 35.7 percent from the field in losses this season, compared to 44.8 percent in wins. His net rating in wins is 19.9. In losses, it’s minus-5.4.

That stat gives some insight into why Covington is often the scapegoat when the Sixers lose, whereas he flies under the radar when they win. After a loss, it makes sense that your first instinct is to blame the guy who missed a bunch of threes and didn’t seem to do much else. And after a win, it makes sense to praise Simmons for another sensational triple-double, or Embiid for another dominant performance.

But when you take a step back and look at what Covington means to the Sixers, there’s no way this team would be in the midst of a 13-game winning streak and third in the Eastern Conference without him.