Robert Covington starting gives Sixers their most dynamic lineup
The Sixers will go through some lineup experimentation, but the anchor at wing must go through just one player, and that’s Robert Covington.
Robert Covington is a starter for the Sixers. There’s simply no other way to give the team a more dynamic lineup. While Dario Saric would give the team a boost on offense, you have to wonder how him and Simmons would fare on defense, with one of them guarding the small forward position.
But let’s assume the Sixers go forward with this Saric-Simmons forward tandem off the bat. The transition offense would be one of brilliance. Simmons, Saric, and Joel Embiid all excel in various facets of transition offense. Embiid is able to hit the three with what has become a trademark trailing shot from the top of the arc, or he can body defenders on a quick drive.
Simmons and Saric are both able to handle the ball and pass in transition, a rarity in big men. With two shooters surrounding them in Markelle Fultz and J.J. Redick, it seems this lineup would excel in scoring the ball. And in Brett Brown’s pace and space game, this lineup would be perfect.
Except it wouldn’t.
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What is lost when talking about a fast-paced offense, is that the opponent often earns more possessions than in a slower-paced offense. It’s why we’ve seen the Sixers’ pace ranking stay high, while their opponent points per game remains near the worst in the league. And that’s where Robert Covington comes in.
Covington was near the top of the league in deflections, a play that is crucial in stopping the “counter-attack” transition game. His versatility on defense allows him to guard multiple positions, and he will continue to take the most difficult matchup in most cases. Imagine the defensive struggles along the perimeter that Fultz, Redick, Simmons/Saric, will face.
Why remove the best perimeter defender for a team who has struggled in that exact aspect the past few seasons? And for what? To insert Saric, who would still remain as the lineups final scoring option? The Sixers would actually be minimizing the abilities of both Saric and Covington by doing this. And you weaken a second-unit that has the potential to be high-scoring.
It’s silly to expect Covington to have major time coming off the bench, let alone him being a sixth-man of the year candidate. Robert Covington isn’t the most important asset, and may even be used as a trade chip in the next few years considering he’ll still be on a favorable contract even if he earns the $13+ million Philadelphia still holds to extend him. But right now, he’s the glue piece that will hold this defense together.
Opponents recorded a 113.4 ORTG with Covington off the court, and a 105.9 ORTG with him on the court. The Sixers also see a 1.2% increase in steal percentage as well. But those stats only tell half the story when it comes to his importance in creating a cohesive defensive units. With screen totals rising in NBA offenses, the ability to switch and defend different player types is becoming key.
It’s why we are seeing such value being placed on versatile defenders like Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, etc. Robert Covington does not hold the same type of prowess as the names mentioned to him prior, but he is able to play off the ball with multiple positions.
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This gives Simmons the time to adjust to defending NBA offenses, and gives Philadelphia the best chance to win. And playoff basketball is in sight this season.