The amount of times the Philadelphia 76ers have been bashed for their rebuilding strategy the past few years is no small number. While I have already explained why the 76ers are not the disgrace they are made out to be, I wanted to revisit one of the articles mostly harshly critizing Philadelphia. More specifically, I want to highlight a ridiculous portion of the piece that has turned out to be completely wrong.


Deadspin's Tom Ley posted a column back in mid-November boldy tilted “The Philadelphia 76ers Are A Godless Abomination.” As the title would suggest, Ley goes on to bash how the 76ers are tanking and not trying to field a competitive roster. Not everyone approves of Philadelphia's philosophy, and that's fine. People are bound to have different opinions.

Looking back, however, it's one key section of Ley's piece which particularly stands out because what he had to say has turned out to be factually false. It's this quote which makes his entire argument look silly. Here's what he had to say.

“Which brings us back to Robert Covington. The Sixers did not sign Robert Covington or any of the other undrafted scrubs that populate the roster because they are looking for good basketball players who can help them win basketball games. They signed him because they only have to pay him $816,482 to go out and do things like shoot 1-of-5 from the field in 17 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs. Robert Covington is in Philly to help the Sixers lose.”

He also added:

“A team can suck its way to a top lottery pick while also employing a few legitimate NBA players who might be able to parlay a decent season on a bad team into a bigger contract next offseason. Instead, those guys have been left to rot overseas or on teams where they can't get playing time while the Sixers give all their money to patsies like Robert Covington.”

Take a moment for that to really sink in. Re-read it if you have to. Then sit back and laugh because Robert Covington is NOT in Philly to help the 76ers lose. Robert Covington is in Philly to help the 76ers win.

To Ley's defense, Covington was far from the most accomplished player when the 76ers signed him in November. The 6-9 forward, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA D-League Draft, could still potentially be playing in the developmental league had not the 76ers offered him a contract. Prior to joining Philadelphia, Covington had only 34 minutes as an undrafted rookie with the Houston Rockets during the 2013-2014 season.

Since joining the 76ers, however, Covington has been nothing short of impressive. The 24-year-old wing is averaging 27.6 minutes per game for Philadelphia in 61 total appearances. During that time, he's scoring 12.9 points on 39.4% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range. He's also pitching in with 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Covington leads all 76ers in True Shooting Percent at .539.

Beyond the stats, Covington certainly passes the eye defense. He can handle the ball and get to the rim at times. He's not a lockdown defender by any means but he's never really a liability on the court. If anything, he's really made the team better. His ability to hit shots from outside forces teams to respect his range. His presence alone spaces the floor for Philadelphia. By doing this, he is certainly not helping the 76ers lose basketball games.

Funny enough, Ley accidentally had a point about Covington being a “patsy” (though it's still a ridiculous statement). But the 76ers taking advantage of Covington has more to do with their good talent evaluation and negotiating than it does their supposedly evil way of management. By this I mean the contract that 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie signed Covington to is a really good one for the team. Covington will make around only one million dollars each year through the 2017-18 season. This means the 76ers signed a good player for ridiculously cheap. Covington's contract will look like even more of a bargain if/when the NBA salary cap is expected to significantly increase in 2016. In other words, this is a masterstroke of a deal.

Players like Covington highlight what Philadelphia's rebuild is all about: finding young, inexpensive talent to build around. There's nothing shameful about it. The 76ers gave Covington a chance when no other team (aside from the Rockets, who cut him) would and now it's paying off for them. Covington isn't a star by any means but he figures to be a positive contributor on the team for seasons to come. He will be around to help the 76ers win games.