The Houston Rockets are undersized relative to most NBA teams, but that doesn’t mean they’re devoid of rim protection.
When GM Daryl Morey traded traditional center Clint Capela in a deal for forward Robert Covington in February, the thought was that Houston was exchanging size and rim protection for the upside of superior shooting on offense and added versatility for their switch-heavy defense.
As it has turned out, the Rockets have boosted their floor spacing and defensive versatility while still retaining a shot-blocking presence. With 39 blocks in 15 outings (average of 2.6 per game) since joining Houston, Covington ranks third in the entire NBA over that span. Considering the 29-year-old averaged less than one block per game this season in Minnesota, it’s caught many around the league by surprise.
In Friday’s wild comeback win over Dallas, Covington led the Rockets with 11 rebounds and four blocked shots, which was the highest by any player on either team (box score).
In particular, his second-half rejection of 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis at the rim seemed to be a turning point for the Rockets, who allowed just 20 points in the fourth quarter and 10 in overtime after a disastrous first half in which they surrendered a franchise record 85 points.
Covington’s instincts and timing near the rim also paid off on the other end of the court Friday, as evidenced by his tip-in of James Harden‘s missed free throw in the closing seconds to send the game to overtime.
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Covington’s play could be especially significant in Sunday’s nationally televised showdown versus the Milwaukee Bucks (54-12), who have the league’s best record and are led by 6-foot-11 forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. For the Rockets (41-24) to slow down the NBA’s reigning MVP and potentially pull off an upset, big defensive contributions from Covington and P.J. Tucker in the frontcourt could be essential.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Central on Sunday, with a regional broadcast on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and a national telecast on ABC.
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