Philadelphia 76ers: Robert Covington making early Defensive Player of the Year case

Since his arrival to the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2014, Robert Covington has been one of his team’s most heavily criticized players, enduring boos and hate at several times over the past few years.

Coming off last year’s NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, Robert Covington is putting together a solid early case for this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award. RoCo has been absurd through the first eleven games on the defensive side of the ball for the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging two steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Covington leads all qualified small forwards in blocks per game, and is tied for second in steals per game with Kawhi Leonard.

All the while, Covington has often been tasked with guarding the opposition’s top scorer and sometimes primary ball handler. At 6-foot-9, he’s been able to use his tremendous foot speed, defensive instincts and 7-foot-2 wingspan to disrupt and contain smaller, quicker players

Just look at this possession here in the Philadelphia 76ers’ recent victory over the Charlotte Hornets, a game in which Covington was often tasked with guarding star player Kemba Walker. Walker did drop 37 points, but did so on just 11-31 field goals and 3-15 shooting from three.

Covington uses his insane length and great help defense to deny Walker the ball on a dribble hand-off, basically rupturing and negatively affecting the Hornets’ entire possession. Jeremy Lamb is then forced to drive and kick to Walker, who shoots an extremely tough contested three due to Covington’s perfectly-timed closeout. RoCo has held opponents to just 27 percent shooting from three-point range this year, an excellent mark. He’s also held opponents to just 33 percent shooting from 15 feet out.

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RoCo has been a main contributor to the 76ers 11th ranked defensive rating just a few games into the season, which is significant due to Dario Saric and Markelle Fultz (initially) struggling heavily on that side of the ball. Covington and center Joel Embiid have been two dominant forces on the defensive end early on in the season for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Being a wing defender, Covington is the perfect example of a “3-and-D” player in the current landscape of the NBA. One knock on him in the past has been his inconsistency on the offensive end, often enduring many lasting slumps shooting the ball and not really being able to do anything else positive offensively. However, this year Covington has looked a lot more consistent from deep, currently shooting a very respectable 42 percent from three-point land.

Not only as RoCo’s three-point shot looked better, but he also looks much more  improved and comfortable off the dribble and finishing around the rim, which were two major places for improvement for him this offseason.

After earning a major — and well-deserved — three-year, $62 million extension last year, the criticism for Covington and his game has just increased. Fans have overlooked his true value and the impact he has on both sides of the ball. The fact of the matter is, Robert Covington will be a solid starter in the NBA for the rest of his career due to his versatility and defensive impact. Not to mention, he’s a great complement to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and their styles of play.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Covington’s defense led him to a NBA Defensive Player of the Year award as soon as this season. At the very least, Covington should represent the forward position on the NBA All-Defensive First Team again by season’s end.