Covington gives Sixers space to improve

WITH TWO teenage daughters and a younger son, 76ers coach Brett Brown most likely has heard of singer Meghan Trainor. If not, he certainly sounded like one of her hit songs yesterday when asked about his team.

"It's all about the space," said the coach, coming close to the title of Trainor's hit, "It's All About That Bass."

The coach wasn't trying to be hip when assessing his team. He was simply pointing out the importance of Robert Covington and what he has done since being plucked out of the Development League and signed by the Sixers on Nov. 15.

If you were looking for saviors for this anticipated abysmal 76ers season, there is no way Covington's name would have entered your mind.

Yes, he had an All-Star season in the D-League last year, and was also named rookie of the year. His stock was so high after that, though, that he was right back in the D-League this season. But on Brown's team, his sweet stroke and seemingly limitless range have not only provided a luxury the coach hasn't had since he's been here, but also a new avenue of freedom for guards Michael Carter-Williams and Tony Wroten.

Though teams still plant their defenses in the lane and force the Sixers to shoot from the outside, Covington is the one player on the team who demands defensive attention. When that happens, things get a little more open for drivers like MCW and Wroten.

"What you see in doses with Robert, imagine if you had a few more, or if we improve the ones that we have [with their] shooting," said Brown. "It's all about the space. It's always about if you have a team that can pass and then you can create space. [The Atlanta Hawks] can all shoot threes and they all can pass. It's not like they're rolling out NBA All-Stars and they are elite athletes. They play as a team and they create space. Covington gives drivers like Tony and Michael room to let their games shine. It is about space and he provides us space."

Covington played his first game in San Antonio on Nov. 17 but didn't really start to become a big member of the rotation until 19 games ago, in early December in Minnesota. In those games the team has gone 7-12 while he has averaged 15.7 points, shot 43 percent from the floor, including 41.5 percent from the three-point line.

"It allows other guys to get into the paint, it allows them to drive the paint," Covington said of his outside shooting. "The guys are looking for me whenever [defenders] sink into the lane so it's also allowed other guys to get open as well. If they come out after me, it allows me to do other things, not just be a shooter, allows me to put to the ball on the floor and create for other guys."

When Covington is on the floor, Carter-Williams has more room to work, which means his assists go up and his turnovers go down. Imagine if, at some point whether by draft or free agency, this team gets a couple more shooters like Covington.

After missing close to a month and 11 games due to an upper-respiratory infection, swingman Hollis Thompson will be available tonight when the Sixers host the boiling-hot Atlanta Hawks, winners of 20 of their past 22 games. It was originally thought that Thompson would go down to the Development League to get his footing back, but that has been scratched because he is looking close to his normal form.

"The talk was that I was out for a while so I was going to go down there and get my rhythm back and just get in shape," said Thompson, who has gained back most of the 20 pounds he lost during his illness. "I'm super excited to be back on the court."

The Delaware 87ers, the Sixers' Development League affiliate, acquired the returning player rights to Maalik Wayns in a trade with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, in exchange for the returning player rights to Hamady N'Diaye.

Wayns, who starred at Roman and Villanova, played with the Sixers and Los Angeles Clippers over the past two seasons.