GALLOWAY, N.J. — At first glance, the thing that stands out the most about the 2015-16 Sixers is the team’s size. The Sixers have seven players 6-foot-9 or taller in camp at Stockton University with Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel slated to be the twin towers in the paint.
But what might stand out the most to head coach Brett Brown is the addition of players who can shoot. Nik Stauskas, a lottery pick in 2014, was acquired in a trade with Sacramento over the summer and three-year veteran and 40 percent three-point shooter Hollis Thompson is returning.
However, the anchor of the team’s perimeter game and one who has been penciled in as the starter at the three-spot is Robert Covington, the team’s best shooter and top scoring threat from a season ago.
According to Brown, the Sixers expect big things from Covington, a player plucked from the D-League last season.
“He’s becoming a leader and I think he’s going to have a good year,” Brown said. “He’s put in the time and he deserves it.”
Putting in the time for Covington means a bit of a reshaping of his game. Yes, Brown and the Sixers will expect Covington to remain the top outside threat, but then again, so will the opposition. As a result, Covington is adding a few wrinkles to his game so that opposing teams aren’t able to knock him off the three-point line.
One simple move was the focus of much of Covington’s offseason workouts.
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“To try to really use the up-fake. A shooter's move should really be the up fake — and catch-go kind of stuff,” Brown said. “So to really grow his ability to put the ball on the floor, because the league is going to close him up hot — they aren’t going to let him catch and shoot — and to understand that mindset of when he should shoot it.”
Up-fakes, jab steps and a host of moves are slowly working their way into Covington’s repertoire. However, Covington says he doesn’t see the additions to his game just opening up more shooting opportunities for him. Instead, he can envision his ability to find more shots opening up things for the rest of his teammates, too.
“We’ve done that a lot this summer. The coaches have worked with me a lot on that — it’s been a lot of up-fakes and moving on the dribble not just to create opportunities for myself, but for my teammates,” Covington said.
Of course the addition of Okafor and Noel in the low post is a mutual benefit to the big men and the shooters. In the half-court offense, the Sixers’ top priority will be getting the ball to Okafor on the low post. When he draws double teams, Covington could be open for a kick out.
Plus, with his new moves Covington says he can create double teams or force defenses to collapse on him, freeing up Okafor or Noel for an open shot.
“It affects our offense and puts us in a great position to score,” Covington said.
Meanwhile, though Covington will be on the perimeter on offense, Brown says the 6-foot-9 forward will play some power forward, too. That will especially be the case on defense when Okafor is out of the game and Noel is playing center.
Of all the adjustments Covington has made, guarding bigger players on defense could be the most interesting. Brown says he spent a lot of time mulling over the idea of playing Covington at the four spot.
“I think I’ll play with him at times as a four and maybe have Jerami [Grant] run the floor and guard on the perimeter and things like that,” Brown said. “I don’t think we’ll get hurt as much as I originally thought. He’s played the four his entire life in college and he can use his length. He’s incredibly long and I hope to use him differently.”
For now, Covington has enjoyed the benefits of playing with bigger players in the post as well as the opportunities the new moves have given.
“It been a lot of fun getting a few more open looks,” Covington said.