Robert Covington

Atlantic Notes: Porzingis, Knicks, Covington, Raptors

December 3rd, 2023 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Celtics won’t have Kristaps Porzingis for their in-season tournament quarterfinal matchup against the Pacers on Monday. The big man has been ruled out due to a left calf strain, ESPN relays. Porzingis, who has 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in his first year with Boston, has already missed the last three games.

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The Knicks are 12-7 but their December schedule will be a major test, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post notes. They have to play Milwaukee three times and nine of their remaining 12 December games are on the road. Phoenix and both Los Angeles teams will be part of a West Coast trip and the last three road games including up-and-coming clubs Oklahoma City, Orlando and Indiana.
Forward Robert Covington is heating up in his second stint with the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Covington, who was part of the James Harden blockbuster trade with the Clippers, averaged 15 points and six rebounds in the last two games. “The more and more games I get under my belt, the more and more I’m going to get comfortable within the offense and defense,” said Covington, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
In a report on the Raptors’ first 20 games, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines that the team has looked nothing more than mediocre. Koreen suggests that their transition offense is their only real strength and they don’t have the depth, nor the draft picks, to get significantly better. If they don’t show real improvement over the next 20 games, the Raptors will have to be sellers at the trade deadline, Koreen adds.

Sixers Notes: Maxey, Oubre, Batum, Harden Trade

November 13th, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

During the best game of his career, Tyrese Maxey was thinking about his injured teammate, according to an ESPN report. The Sixers guard posted his first-ever 50-point performance in Sunday’s win over Indiana, then dedicated the outing to Kelly Oubre, who is recovering after being struck by a car Saturday night.

“This had nothing to do with me,” Maxey said. “This is all Kelly Oubre. We’re praying for him. Love my dawg. I just met him, but I love him. I hope he gets well soon.”

Oubre was on the mind of all the Sixers players in their first game since the accident, which left Oubre with a broken rib, along with bruises and cuts. They couldn’t reach him on FaceTime Sunday night, so they sent him a video of their locker room celebration.

“The game today, I’m sure Tyrese was thinking about it and we were all thinking about it,” Joel Embiid said. “We just want (Oubre) to take his time, recover and know that we have his back. He’s needed because he’s a big part of us. We missed him tonight, but he should take his time.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Nicolas Batum replaced Oubre in the starting lineup, but the Sixers have plenty of options considering their roster depth following the James Harden trade, observes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Robert Covington and Marcus Morris, who were also acquired in that deal, should see expanded roles, and coach Nick Nurse has other experienced players he can turn to. “I would imagine, we’ve been using Covington, but (he) will probably take some of those minutes,” Nurse said. “There’s still (Furkan Korkmaz) and (Danuel House) there as well, kind of at that wing position that we can possibly see.”
The police report on Oubre states that he was hit in the upper chest by the mirror of a speeding silver vehicle and the driver left the scene, Pompey tweets. Oubre is reported to have injuries to his hip and right leg in addition to the broken rib. Nurse talked to Oubre and said he has an ‘”I’ll be back before you know it’ type of attitude.”
The Sixers are clearly a better team since resolving the Harden standoff, Pompey adds in a separate story. Batum and Covington have upgraded the defense, there’s more quickness all around and Maxey and Tobias Harris are thriving in expanded offensive roles.

Sixers Notes: Depth, Newcomers, Embiid, Maxey, Harden

November 10th, 2023 at 6:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers look like one of the league’s deepest teams and have a “different vibe” this season under new head coach Nick Nurse, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“The other day at practice, we had three teams out, running through the plays,” Tobias Harris said. “We were on the sidelines, me, Joel [Embiid] and Tyrese [Maxey] were saying like we have 15 guys who can be in the rotation. With that means a lot of responsibility with guys just being professional and ready.”

As Pompey notes, newcomers Nicolas Batum and Robert Covington were in the rotation during Wednesday’s victory over Boston, with Batum part of the closing group.

Forward Marcus Morris, another newcomer acquired in the James Harden trade, has only played six minutes in one appearance this season. Nurse said he hopes to get a better look at the veteran forward (Twitter video link via Pompey).

“I want to see him, definitely,” Nurse said. “I still think he’s got a spot in the rotation. He of all the people has played the least, so it’s just a little trickier with him. Just kind of waiting for our moment to give him a chance and see how he looks out there.”

Here are a few more notes out of Philly:

Gina Mizell of The Philadephia Inquirer (subscriber link) details how the four players acquired in the Harden deal — Batum, Covington, Morris and KJ Martin — have quickly acclimated to their new team. They’ve been going through film sessions, walk-throughs and scrimmages, with player development assistant Rico Hines leading the way. “It’s totally been a village in here,” Hines told Mizell, “with everybody helping [those players] get accustomed to whatever we’re trying to get accomplished. We’ve got a big picture in mind, and that’s what we’re trying to do. Just get a little better every day. Those guys see that. They feel that.”
After the Sixers defeated Boston on Wednesday and claimed the top spot in the East, reigning MVP Joel Embiid said the team has “a long way to go” but is “on the right path,” writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “There’s so many things that could’ve been better today,” Embiid said. “Taking care of the ball. Missed quite a few shots. Tyrese, he missed a lot of shots that he’s been making. We were not as efficient as we’ve been. But it happens. But, then again, I also like the effort and the intensity defensively, just being together, following the game plan.”
Maxey has repeatedly mentioned how much he appreciated James Harden as a mentor and teammate. Harden’s fondness for Maxey is quite evident as well, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “He works extremely hard; good things are definitely going to come his way,” Harden said. “He listens, he puts the work in, as a young guy in this league that’s all you can ask for. As he gets more reps at that scoring, play-making role, he’ll figure things out, you know, in a good way, how different teams are gonna guard him. I’m extremely and overly proud of him; he gets an opportunity to showcase his game. … I know he’s gonna have a really good year.”

Atlantic Notes: Batum, Morris, Barnes, Celtics’ Reserves, Nets

November 3rd, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s a mixed bag in terms of the availability of the players the Sixers acquired in the James Harden deal, Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

Nicolas Batum remains away from the team for personal reasons and coach Nick Nurse is unsure when he’ll return, while Marcus Morris is still ramping up after being out of the Clippers’ rotation. However, Robert Covington and KJ Martin have a chance to be in the Sixers’ rotation for the team’s game against Phoenix on Saturday.

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Coming off a disappointing second NBA season, Raptors forward Scottie Barnes appears to be making major strides, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Barnes has been a steady force thus far while averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists and shooting 52.6% from the field. While at times he’s tried to do too much, Barnes has also been a factor defensively, Koreen notes.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla organized a film session for his struggling bench on Tuesday and it paid off on Wednesday, as the backups lifted the team in a 155-point explosion against Indiana. The bench contributed 63 points. “I just thought we played with more of a sense of purpose, and they managed the game in that way,” Mazzulla said to The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach (subscription required). “And there’s certain things that you can do to put yourself in a better situation in those. It’s defend without fouling, it’s limiting them to one shot, it’s not giving up transition. Those are the three things that they didn’t do in the Washington game and those are the three things that they did a great job of taking away [against the Pacers].”
Speaking of reserves, the Nets got similar performances from their bench in a victory over Miami on Wednesday. That group included Armoni Brooks and Trendon Watford, making their first appearances with the Nets, and rookie second-rounder Jalen Wilson, Dan Martin of the New York Post notes. “This is a night when you see the depth and versatility of our group,’’ coach Jacque Vaughn said. “You also saw the fight and competitiveness of our group. Our pace didn’t change with subbing in guys.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Morris, Covington, Green, Harris

November 3rd, 2023 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Responding to James Harden‘s claim that the Sixers had him “on a leash” last season, Joel Embiid said on Thursday that he didn’t get the sense his former teammate was unhappy with his role, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Embiid also questioned the idea that the 76ers’ game plan held Harden back in any way.

“In my opinion, we gave him the ball every single possession, because he’s really good. He’s an amazing player,” Embiid said. “Obviously being that great of a passer, we gave him the ball. If you watch the game we gave him the ball every single possession to go out there and do his thing. From there he had to make decisions as far as getting guys open or looking out for himself.

“I thought he did a pretty good job of just getting us into the offense and just passing the ball, getting guys open. That’s the reason why he won the assists title last year. I think maybe that might have been a discussion between coaches and him, but from our point of view I think we allowed him to have the ball every single possession.”

Speaking to reporters after the Sixers’ win over Toronto, Embiid added that he was happy the situation got resolved and that Harden got what he wanted, joking that he hopes the Sixers get to beat the Clippers in the NBA Finals next spring.

Asked about what move the 76ers might make next to strengthen their roster and make them a legitimate title contender, Embiid deferred to the front office, stressing that he has no complaints about the current roster.

“That’s not my job,” Embiid said, per Bontemps. “My only job is to try to win. I just want to make that clear. I just want to be in the best position to win. I’m always going to believe in myself anyways. It doesn’t matter who I play with. I love the guys that we have. We’re going to go and fight every single night like we’ve been doing, and we’re always going have a chance to win.”

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

Veteran forward Marcus Morris, who had fallen out of the rotation in Los Angeles, is thrilled to be joining his hometown team in Philadelphia and said he didn’t feel like himself on the West Coast, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Me coming here is like everything for me,” Morris said.
A Sixer from 2014-18 during the “Process” years, Robert Covington expressed excitement about returning to Philadelphia and beginning a second stint with the club, according to Pompey. “This is where I put my name on the map,” Covington said. “It feels great to be back. I’ve been in this building (the Sixers’ practice facility) when it first opened. Seeing the amount of hours spent into the development here, it’s just amazing to be back.”
Danny Green was “disappointed by how the final days of his tenure” with the Sixers played out, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT (Twitter link). However, Haynes says the two sides still have an affinity for one another and haven’t ruled out the possibility of the veteran swingman returning to the team. Green’s contract originally called for him to receive a $500K partial guarantee if he made the opening night roster, but he agreed to reduce that figure to $200K and then was waived before November 10, when his guarantee would have increased to $500K.
As good as Tyrese Maxey has been in the early going this season, Pompey believes forward Tobias Harris has actually been the biggest beneficiary of Harden’s absence so far. Through four games, Harris is shooting 63.8% from the floor and is averaging 20.5 points per game, which would be a career high.

Daryl Morey Happy With Return In James Harden Trade

November 1st, 2023 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

It took more than four months, but the Sixers got the assets they were seeking when James Harden first asked for a trade in late June, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Morey said the focus was on acquiring expiring contracts and draft capital in any Harden deal. The trade with the Clippers brought back Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington and Kenyon Martin Jr., all of whom will be free agents next summer, along with a collection of draft assets that stretch through 2029.

“We set a bar in June, really, when James requested the trade and said, ‘Look, if we can get it to here, that should be what generally allows you to get out and get a player,” Morey said. “Having a player like Jrue (Holiday) go (to the Boston Celtics) for a similar package was sort of validating on that. So we set the bar, and obviously it came together where the Clippers met that price.”

What the Sixers didn’t get is Terance Mann, who was reportedly the sticking point for L.A. throughout the negotiations. According to Pompey, the Clippers initially offered one unprotected first-round pick and a pick swap along with the expiring contracts. With Morey unable to pry Mann loose, he settled for more draft capital instead.

Appearing Wednesday on the Ball Don’t Lie podcast, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports suggested that Morey was reluctant to accept the final version of the trade, but was forced to by ownership, which told him to “get a deal done now.”

Speaking with Pompey, Morey downplayed the report, saying team owners have a role in virtually every NBA trade.

“Ownership, I can only speak to my side. I don’t know how much their side was involved,” Morey said. “Our side was straightforward, the same: Always keep them abreast of our plans, making recommendations for when we make trades, and they signed off on them. It was a very standard trade, so I didn’t quite follow that reporting.”

Morey also expressed hope that his long relationship with Harden, which fell apart in spectacular fashion this summer, can eventually be repaired.

“Look, I think time heals,” Morey said. “He wanted to be traded and we did follow through on what he wanted. … Honestly, I think he chose to handle things certain ways that I wouldn’t have. He might feel the same about us, that we should have moved quicker or whatever. Look, he’s a great player and he’s going to do great things for the Clippers. P.J. (Tucker) as well. I’m glad they’re in the West.”

Sixers Notes: New Additions, Oubre, Trade Targets, Harden

November 1st, 2023 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The four players the Sixers acquired in their James Harden trade with the Clippers – Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, and Kenyon Martin Jr. – arrived at the team’s facility on Wednesday but are unlikely to play on Thursday vs. Toronto, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Saturday’s home game against Phoenix is a more realistic target for those newcomers, Mizell adds.

Meanwhile, even though Harden hadn’t played yet this season for the 76ers, the deal removes a starter from the team’s lineup — since arriving in Philadelphia in 2022, P.J. Tucker had started all 89 regular season and playoff games he’d played for the club.

Forward Kelly Oubre will start in Tucker’s place for now, head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Wednesday, but that may not be a permanent change. As Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports explains (via Twitter), Nurse has said he likes the spark Oubre has provided off the bench, so he may want to return Oubre to that role once Morris, Batum, Covington, and Martin are up to speed, with one of those ex-Clippers moving into the starting five.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype and Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link) each identified some players the Sixers may target on the trade market using their newly acquired draft assets, weighing the likelihood of those players becoming available this season and evaluating whether Philadelphia has the pieces to land them. A pair of Bulls (Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan) and Raptors (Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby) show up on both lists, which also feature a few other names.
The draft assets the Sixers are receiving and their ability to move on from the Harden saga have been frequently cited in the last 36 hours as the most important aspects of Philadelphia’s trade with the Clippers. But the deal will also improve the 76ers’ depth, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who notes that Tucker’s role had declined, Filip Petrusev wasn’t ready for rotation minutes as a rookie, and Harden – of course – had yet to actually suit up for a game this season.
When Harden showed up for the Sixers’ team flight last Wednesday after the team asked him to stay behind in Philadelphia and he wasn’t permitted to board the plane, it “inflamed the situation” on both sides and represented the “final straw” in the club’s efforts to reincorporate him, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Trade discussions with the Clippers resumed a couple days later and picked up steam after that, per Shelburne.
Shelburne’s story on Harden’s final days is chock full of interesting tidbits, including the fact that Harden communicated directly with head coach Nick Nurse, general manager Elton Brand, and owner Josh Harris after making his trade request, but would only communicate with president Daryl Morey through agent Michael Silverman.
Shelburne also hears from sources that Harden’s camp became convinced ahead of free agency in June that if he declined his option, Morey and the 76ers only intended to offer him a two-year deal with a second-year team option. The team, wary of gun-jumping after being penalized for it in 2022, insisted it would make a strong offer once free agency opened, but Harden “didn’t buy it,” Shelburne writes.

Sixers Trade James Harden To Clippers In Three-Team Deal

November 1st, 2023 at 10:45am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

NOVEMBER 1: The trade is official, according to press releases from all three teams. The terms of the deal are as follows:

Clippers acquire James Harden, P.J. Tucker, and Filip Petrusev.
Sixers acquire Marcus Morris; Nicolas Batum; Robert Covington; Kenyon Martin Jr.; the Clippers’ 2028 first-round pick (unprotected); either the Rockets’ (top-four protected), Clippers’, or Thunder’s 2026 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable); the right to swap their own 2029 first-round pick with the Clippers’ 2029 first-round pick (top-three protected); a 2024 second-round pick (details below); the Clippers’ 2029 second-round pick; and cash ($2MM; from Clippers).
- Note: The 2024 second-round pick acquired by the Sixers will be either the Raptors’, Pacers’, Jazz’s, or Cavaliers’ pick, whichever is most favorable. If either the Jazz’s or Cavaliers’ pick is the most favorable, Philadelphia would instead receive the second-most favorable of the four.
Thunder acquire the right to swap either their own 2027 first-round pick or the Nuggets’ 2027 first-round pick (top-five protected) for the Clippers’ 2027 first-round pick (unprotected) and cash ($1.1MM; from Clippers).

As expected, Danny Green was waived by the Sixers in order to make room for the incoming players.

Harden received the maximum portion of his trade bonus ($40,595) that he could while still making the deal legal for salary-matching purposes, Hoops Rumors has learned.

OCTOBER 31: The Sixers are shipping star guard James Harden to the Clippers, his latest destination of choice, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski, Philadelphia is sending out Harden, veteran forward P.J. Tucker and rookie center Filip Petrusev to Los Angeles in exchange for forwards Kenyon Martin Jr., Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum and Robert Covington, plus some significant future draft equity.

The 76ers will receive the Clippers’ 2028 unprotected first-round draft pick, two second-rounders and a 2029 pick swap, as well as an additional first-round pick. That extra first-round pick the Sixers are acquiring in the blockbuster deal is a 2026 first-rounder that had been controlled by the Thunder, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the Thunder will receive a 2027 first-round pick swap from the Clippers in exchange for that 2026 first-rounder. Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports reports (via Twitter) that the 2026 first-round selection the Thunder are trading to Philadelphia will be the least favorable of the Clippers’ pick, OKC’s own pick, and Houston’s selection (top-four protected).

The two second-round picks the Clippers are trading to the Sixers are 2024 and 2029 selections, sources tell Wojnarowski. The ’29 pick will be Los Angeles’ own, but the Clips have already traded away their own 2024 second-round pick, so the other second-rounder in this deal will be one of two others that L.A. controls (one is Toronto’s pick; the other could be Indiana’s, Utah’s, or Cleveland’s).

Philadelphia wing Danny Green is being cut to create an open roster spot for the new additions from the Clippers, sources tell Wojnarowski. Green’s salary had only been partially guaranteed for $200K.

According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers and Clippers – who have had conversations about Harden for months – began talking again over the weekend following L.A.’s recent “pause” in negotiations, with Philadelphia recognizing it was becoming increasingly untenable to incorporate Harden back into its lineup.

This will bring the latest Harden trade request saga to a close. The 10-time All-Star opted into the final season of his current contract, worth $35.6MM, and immediately requested a trade rather than joining a new team in free agency. It was the third time in three years that he had sought a change of scenery via trade — he was originally dealt from Houston to Brooklyn in 2021, then from Brooklyn to Philadelphia in 2022.

Following his June trade request, Harden made some explosive comments over the summer about Sixers team president Daryl Morey, calling him a “liar” and saying he had no intention of being part of the same organization as Morey. When the NBA launched an investigation into those comments, Harden informed league investigators that he called Morey a liar because he told the former MVP he’d be traded “quickly” after he asked to be moved. The incident cost him $100K.

Harden skipped media day and the first day of training camp before reporting to the 76ers this fall. He participated in just one 5-on-5 scrimmage and no preseason games before leaving the team again for what was described as a personal matter, only to return after a 10-day absence. He has missed all of Philadelphia’s regular season games to this point as he continues to ramp up to game shape.

Harden struggled with injuries in 2022/23. Though the 34-year-old was clearly no longer in his athletic prime, he remained his prolific self while playing alongside eventual MVP Joel Embiid. Across 58 regular season contests, he averaged 21.0 points per game on .441/.385/.867 shooting, also contributing 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per night.

According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Harden is “ecstatic” to be joining the Clippers alongside fellow Southern California natives Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook. Los Angeles has long sought a play-making point guard who can stretch the floor alongside its two star forwards and will now insert Harden into that role for at least the 2023/24 season.

Harden is on an expiring contract and won’t become extension-eligible before reaching unrestricted free agency next July. Leonard, George, and Westbrook all have 2024/25 player options, so they could also hit the open market after the season if things don’t go well in L.A., though Leonard and George remain eligible to sign extensions before then.

Harden is hoping to fly to Los Angeles right away and there’s a chance he’ll attend the Clippers’ home game against Orlando on Tuesday, Shelburne adds, though it will likely still be a few days before he makes his debut for his new team.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Clippers will hang onto Petrusev, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic, though Tucker is in their plans.

While the Sixers won’t land Terance Mann – whose inclusion in the deal was long believed to be a sticking point – they’ll acquire four players on expiring contracts and get out from under Tucker’s 2024/25 player option, further increasing their cap flexibility for the summer of 2024. They project to have between $50-65MM in space next offseason, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

The draft assets and expiring contracts the Sixers are acquiring from Los Angeles also put Philadelphia in position to make another pre-deadline trade to further reinforce its roster. The 76ers are expected to scour the trade market for another “high-level guard,” writes Wojnarowski.

The four players the Sixers are adding in this deal will be ineligible to have their salaries aggregated in a separate trade for the next two months, but could be flipped immediately as long as they’re not being combined with other players for salary-matching purposes.

Meanwhile, as Marks observes (via Twitter), Harden’s contract includes a $5.1MM trade bonus, which Philadelphia would be responsible for paying. However, based on the terms that have been reported so far, he would have to waive most or all of that bonus for the trade to be legal.

The Clippers’ projected luxury tax bill is projected to increase by approximately $29MM once the deal is finalized, Marks adds (via Twitter), while the Sixers’ projected tax bill will dip by $13.4MM.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Clippers Notes: Covington, Batum, Mann, Rotation, Harden

October 19th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers may use a committee approach at power forward once the regular season begins, according to Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. Robert Covington, Nicolas Batum and versatile Terance Mann are likely to share that spot.

“All three guys bring something different to the table when we talk about defense,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “T-Mann can start, he can guard the point guard tonight and guard the four tomorrow. Nico can guard the point guard in the four tonight and RoCo is more of an off-the-ball deflection, steals, weak-side defender type guy. So, they do some different things. And so, it could be by committee … every night could be something different.”

We have more on the Clippers:

Lue will use nine or 10 players in his rotation and the competition for playing time beyond the team’s stars is fierce. Lue doesn’t see having good depth as a bad thing. “It’s kind of like [Team] USA. You have a lot of guys who deserve to play but you can’t play all those guys,” he told Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times. “For me, [I am] just having the constant dialogue with the players and communicating and just let them know that, ‘This is what I’m looking at, this is the sample size of games that I’m looking at, and you‘ve just got to be ready.’”
Will the constant trade chatter regarding James Harden have a negative impact on the locker room? Lue doesn’t think so, he told Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. “I like the team that we have right now,” he said. “We have a great unit. I’m just focusing on our guys that’s in the locker room. They’re the same way. We’ve had a great camp. They’re locking in and paying attention to detail on both sides of the basketball. That has to be our mindset all season long. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”
Can the second unit go without a true center? Do they have enough shooters? Those are two of the questions hovering over the team as training camp winds down, The Athletic’s Law Murray opines.
An emphasis on better success during the regular season to get the Clippers prepared for a deep playoff run is reiterated in a column by Sportsnaut.com’s Mark Medina.

L.A. Notes: Covington, Hyland, Russell, Ham, Wood

October 13th, 2023 at 10:34pm CST by Rory Maher

After signing a two-year, $24MM extension in May 2022, Robert Covington didn’t play much for the Clippers in 2022/23, appearing in just 48 games off the bench while averaging 16.2 minutes per night, his fewest since his rookie season. However, he could be a starter this season, and he’s trying to seize the opportunity, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register.

“(Head coach) Ty (Lue) told me that last year, he wished I got to play more because it was just unfortunate how deep our team was and how I hadn’t really played a lot and he just kept me out,” Covington said. “I just said (to myself), ‘Stay patient, just stay patient.’ I did everything that I was supposed to as far as staying ready whenever my number was called. I was ready for anything. That’s what I love about my professionalism – the fact that I stay ready no matter what.”

According to Carr, Covington kept an upbeat attitude throughout ’22/23, despite the trying circumstances.

“At times it was (hard not to get down), but I know I’m a part of this league,” the 32-year-old forward said. “I’ve had veterans talk (about) that type of stuff before in the past. So, I can understand just being in that moment, and understanding that the team I’m on, it is going to be like that. It sucks sometimes that we’ve got to sacrifice. But like I said, stay patient.”

Here’s more from the NBA’s to Los Angeles teams:

Third-year guard Bones Hyland has received positive reviews from teammates in his first Clippers training camp, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (subscriber link). The Clippers acquired the 23-year-old via trade in February. “He’s fast, he’s talented, he’s a great basketball player, but I think maybe last year he was rushing a little bit too much,” forward Nicolas Batum said of Hyland. “Now he seems even if he’s still fast, he feels like he’s more under control, makes better decisions. … He worked on that. You can see, he watched film, he tried to get better decision-making and he’s doing a good job so far. I love watching him. He’s going to have a great season.”
Hyland added 11 pounds of muscle and focused on improving his defense this offseason, Carr writes for The Orange County Register. “I feel like I’m not like a weak link no more on the defensive side,” Hyland said Friday. “Giving multiple efforts and just trying to improve in the lower areas on the defensive end (is where) I feel like I improved.”
Another player working to change the perception of him being a minus defensively is Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Russell was frequently targeted by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. “Yeah, I mean, last year they found a way to get me off the floor by not playing defense, I guess,” Russell said. “So, (I) try to be a reason to eliminate that. Not give them a reason to not have me on the floor. Try to be as dangerous as I can on offense and try not to be a liability on defense. So, that’s what I’m working on. I’m trying to do it now before the season so I continue to practice those good habits.”
In a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham defended Christian Wood from his detractors and said he has long been a mentor to the big man. “I don’t know what happened in Dallas and that’s not my business,” Ham said. “I don’t know. People say s–t. ‘He’s lazy. He doesn’t play any defense.’ I know the kid. I know what he’s going to do for me and he’s done everything that I expected him to do up to this point since camp has been going on.”

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