A little over halfway through the season, the Sixers are a respectable 30-25 and are currently slotted as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. This a vast improvement from the past several seasons, as they have already topped their win totals from the previous four seasons. While there are reasons to be encouraged about the team’s current trajectory, there is also room for improvement.
Although the team is currently projected to make the playoffs, they don’t have much room for error. The Heat and Pistons currently sit 1.5 and 3.0 games behind Philly for the seventh seed in the East, and a losing streak by the Sixers could easily result in them being knocked out of the playoff picture.
Fortunately for the Sixers, they mainly just need to do more of the same in order to clinch a playoff berth. One player in particular, however, could transform the Sixers into an eastern conference powerhouse if he can shake the slump he’s been in recently. That player is none other than Robert Covington.
RoCo has still been instrumental in the Sixers’ early season success with his tremendous defense, but he has left much to be desired on the offensive end. After averaging 15.3 points on 44% FG and 40% 3PT in the month of November, Covington has suffered a steady dip in production in all three categories in each month since. He just doesn’t seem to possess the shooting stroke he had earlier in the season, and has been dreadful in the month of February. Covington is averaging a mere 10 points a
game in nearly 32 minutes of action, and his three point shot has absolutely abandoned him as he’s struggled his way to a 27% 3PT. RoCo hasn’t scored 20+ points in a contest since December 2nd, and has only topped 15+ points seven times during that span.
Although he doesn’t necessarily have to score a ton with Embiid, Simmons, and Saric leading the charge, the team could stand a bit more production from him on the offensive end. If Covington can resemble the player he was when he was signed to an extension last November in the second half of the season, the Sixers should not only remain in the playoff picture, but might even improve to the 4th or 5th seed in the process. Hopefully the All-Star break gave him enough time to clear his head and get back to the basics.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
