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December 10, 2014 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


THOU SHALL COVINGTON

Robert Covington has been hiding in plain sight for the better part of a decade.

First, as a very talented high school player in the Chicago suburbs, where despite flashing potential, he only generated two Division I scholarship offers -- Tennessee State and Sacramento State.

He chose Tennessee State, and wasted little time proving he belonged, being named to the Ohio Valley Conference's All-Newcomer Team. At the end of his college tenure, Covington scored an invite to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, which invites 64 of the nation's top seniors to compete in a four-day tournament in front of scouts for all 30 NBA teams.

He didn't disappoint.

Said a longtime NBA scouting consultant at the conclusion of the PIT in his report from the camp: "Covington is a rangy, athletic small forward who competes and is able to fill the box score with many athletic plays on both ends of the court that help his team win. I would expect that some team would be smart enough to draft him in the second round and bring him to veteran camp. He sure looks like a roster player to me."

His performance at the PIT was good enough to earn an invite to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp, where he continued to showcase his ability. And yet, when the curtain closed on NBA Draft 2013, Covington was still on the outside looking in.

The Houston Rockets quickly scooped him up for their summer league team, and even gave him a substantial amount of guaranteed money after a strong showing at the Orlando Summer Pro League. He spent most of his rookie season playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, earning NBA Development League Rookie of the Year honors. He was also the MVP of the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star Game.

Despite all this, Covington got caught in a bit of a numbers crunch with the Rockets this fall, and was let go a day before the start of the 2014-15 NBA season. A few days later, Covington was selected by the Grand Rapids Drive with the first pick of the 2014 NBA D-League Draft. On Nov. 15, before appearing in a game with the Drive, he was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fast forward to Dec. 10, and Covington is coming off three games in which he's averaged 21.0 points on 55 percent shooting, including 9-for-17 from behind the arc. In 11 games, Covington is averaging 9.5 points in 17.1 minutes.

"He has shown me more than I could have imagined offensively," 76ers coach Brett Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He is way better than I thought.

Brown sees room for improvement on the defensive end, as Covington gets more minutes under his belt. Covington showed he could be a factor on that end in college, and has showed a willingness to learn and improve, as evidenced by his feelings about his time in the NBA D-League.

"The D-League was a big benefit to me," Covington told the Inquirer. "I went down there and did what I had to do, which was prove myself. My confidence has boosted so much."

PROSPECT REPORT

Tim Frazier, Maine Red Claws -- When Frazier suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon four games into the 2012-13 season at Penn State, the natural inclination was to think a smallish guard who relied heavily on his quickness to keep defenders off balance and get into the lane, had his work cut out for him in terms of moving forward in his professional career. He came back as an iron man, averaging 35.0 minutes as a redshirt senior and playing in every game. He was second on the team in scoring (14.9 ppg) and led the team in assists (5.4 apg) and steals (1.6 spg). He also averaged 4.4 rebounds. Frazier showed extremely well at the 2014 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, did an NBA Summer League Stint with the Philadelphia 76ers and eventually scored an invite to the Boston Celtics' training camp. He was cut by the Celtics, but picked up by the Red Claws, for whom he's averaged 15.6 points, 7.1 assists and 7.0 rebounds in eight games. Frazier's slight build will always work against him from a scouting perspective, but his quickness, activity and overall feel make him an interesting prospect for NBA teams to consider. He doesn't jump off the page, but the more you watch, the more you appreciate his ability.

NEWS & NOTES

Utah Jazz Signs Iowa's Patrick Christopher

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has signed free-agent guard/forward Patrick Christopher of the NBA D-League's Iowa Energy. Christopher becomes the NBA's 10th overall NBA D-League Call-Up of the 2014-15 season and the eighth different player to be called up. Christopher (6-5, 209, California) appeared in seven games (all starts) for the Energy this season, averaging 15.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 36.4 minutes per contest. He recorded 10-plus points in four games, including 20-or-more points on three occasions. Christopher spent the 2014 preseason with the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 4.5 points in eight preseason games, before being waived on Oct. 25. The 26-year-old guard also spent the 2013-14 season with the Energy, recording 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.4 minutes in 50 games (47 starts). Christopher was named to the 2014 NBA D-League All-Defensive Second Team and participated in the 2014 NBA D-League Three-Point Shootout at NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.

Maine's Tim Frazier Named NBA D-League Performer of the Week

Maine Red Claws guard Tim Frazier was named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Monday, Dec. 1 - Sunday, Dec. 7. The honor is the first of Frazier's career and the first for the Red Claws this season. Frazier (6-1, 170, Penn State) recorded the fifth double-double in Red Claws history when he recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 122-114 win over the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Dec. 6. Earlier in the week, he finished with 11 points and nine rebounds in a 110-106 victory over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. For the week, he averaged just shy of a triple-double, with 14.5 points on 46 percent shooting from the floor to go with 9.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists in two Red Claws wins. For the season, Frazier is averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 assists and 7.0 rebounds.

Prospect Watch: Week Four

About a month into the season and about a month away the NBA D-League Showcase, the Prospect Watch picture is beginning to clear up. Performances no longer come with "small-sample size" caveats -- there's enough film and stats to pore over that the cream has begun to rise to the top. The Top 30 is filled with up-and-comers with long-term outlooks, but plenty of NBA vets are looking like their old selves, ready to contribute in a pinch.

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned forwards Grant Jerrett and Mitch McGary to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA D-League. Jerrett has appeared in one game with the Thunder this season recording three points, one assist, and one rebound in nine minutes during Oklahoma City's 105-78 victory over New York on Nov. 28. McGary, the 21st overall selection of the 2014 NBA Draft, has yet to appear in a regular season game for the Thunder ... The Erie BayHawks, the single affiliate of the Orlando Magic, today announced guard Brandon Provost (6-3, 189, Texas Pan-American) has been acquired and activated. Provost was selected in the seventh round of the 2014 NBA D-League Draft by the Iowa Energy and acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in a trade. He was waived by the Vipers on Nov. 13. Erie's Marcus Goode will be deactivated.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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