Robert Covington has agreed on a two-year, $24 million contract extension with the LA Clippers which prevents him from entering the free-agent market in which he would receive interest from numerous teams.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Robert Covington has agreed on a two-year, $24 million contract extension, his agent Andrew Morrison of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/myggO0o4Sp
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 5, 2022
The Clippers traded Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, and a 2025 second-round pick for Norman Powell and Covington. This trade helped the LA Clippers’ roster significantly. Adding Powell next to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is dangerous. As good as Powell is, Covington is also an extremely important piece to the championship roster the LA Clippers are aiming to build.
Covington is one of the best wing defenders in the NBA. Covington makes an instant impact on both ends of the floor. Standing at 6’7″, Covington’s size along with his 86-inch wingspan allows him to play elite defense while also being able to shoot over taller defenders. Covington is also a great finisher around the rim. Now that we have covered how good Covington is on offense as well as defense, let’s look into how he has performed as an LA Clipper.
Robert Covington is a winning player.
Since joining the LA Clippers, Robert Covington has averaged 10.4 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals per game, and 1.2 blocks per game in 23 games. What’s even better is that Covington shot 50% from the field and 45% from three on 4.7 three-point attempts per game. These numbers are extremely good. Covington did all of this in only 22.1 minutes per game. Covington’s per 36 is at 16.9 points per 36 minutes, 8.3 rebounds per 36, 2.1 steals per 36 minutes and 2 blocks per 36.
As these numbers are very good, Covington left Clipper fans with numerous moments to remember. On April 1st, 2022 Covington posted career-highs across the board against the Milwaukee Bucks as he put up 43 points and 8 rebounds on 11 three-pointers made. This was also a franchise record for the number of three-pointers made in a single game. Covington was also the only player in the NBA to have over 90 steals and 90 blocks in the same season.
Covington’s contributions go far beyond the basic stats. Covington averaged 3.1 deflections per game. To put this in perspective; Marcus Smart, who won 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 2.9 deflections per game. Covington also averaged 6.1 contested shots per game as Smart averaged 5.2 contested shots per game. This shows how valuable Covington is on the defensive side of the ball.
Covington is an all-defensive caliber player who shoots the ball very efficiently. Players like this are extremely hard to find. Covington is one of the most valuable players on the LA Clippers roster. Having a player who can guard any position is a luxury. Covington playing alongside Nicolas Batum, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Norman Powell will give opponents nightmares. The LA Clippers are very lucky to have a player like Covington sealed for the next few years.