Robert Covington is primed for a breakout year, Derek Bodner of Philadelphia Magazine argues. Covington has been a bright spot for the Sixers over the last few seasons and Bodner notes that the team has scored 100.5 points per 100 possessions with the small forward on the floor compared to 96 points when he’s on the bench. Bodner expects his numbers to improve further since the talent around him has improved. Covington’s contract is one of the most team-friendly deals in the league. He will make slightly over $1.0MM this season and the team holds an option worth roughly $1.1MM for the 2017/18 campaign.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Tyler Zeller only played 710 minutes last season and even after re-signing with the Celtics on a two year, $16MM deal, his role is unlikely to increase significantly during this year, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com speculates. Pelton cites Zeller’s inability to protect the rim as reason he doesn’t see more playing time.
- The Celtics may end up moving James Young, who is one of 16 players on the roster with a guaranteed deal, Pelton adds in the same piece. The team currently has 18 total players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at roster resource indicates.
- Ben Bentil and Demetrius Jackson face stiff competition for roster spots on the Celtics and both players will likely be headed to the D-League, Pelton writes in the same piece.