Former Sixers in the playoffs: Robert Covington key for Rockets advancing

We take a look at a former member of the Philadelphia 76ers in Robert Covington with the Houston Rockets.

The current version of the Philadelphia 76ers are done after an extremely disappointing Round 1 sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but there are some former Sixers still playing in the bubble. One of them is a key member and a success story of The Process.

Robert Covington, who spent a little over four seasons in Philadelphia, was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the November 2018 trade of Jimmy Butler going to Philadelphia. The Wolves then flipped him to the Houston Rockets before the February trade deadline and he played a huge role for Houston in their Round 1 series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Covington had 21 points and 10 rebounds in Houstons’s Game 7 win over the Thunder and he finished the series averaging 13.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks. He also shot 24-for-48 from deep–50%–for the series as he was a reliable 3-point shooter while also having to take on Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams in Houston’s small-ball lineup.

Trading away Covington in 2018 was a smart move as it allowed the Sixers to bring in a major talent like Butler, but with Philadelphia not able to keep Butler, trading away a valuable 3-and-D player hurts a lot right now. The shooting percentage from beyond the arc is a pain that cuts a little deeper considering the struggles the Sixers had in the playoffs.

Covington and the Rockets will move on to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western semifinals. He will have to provide more production on offense as well as taking on LeBron James and Anthony Davis. [lawrence-related id=37389,37377,37378]