May 17, 2018
It wouldn't be a Sixers offseason without a surprise surgery to kick things off. According to a press release from the team, the latest recipient of a procedure is forward Robert Covington, who underwent surgery to repair the extensor tendon in his left middle finger.
The procedure — which was performed by Dr. Asif M. Ilyas, a hand surgeon at Rothman Institute and a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University — was necessary following an injury to his hand the team says Covington suffered on December 28 during a west coast trip to Portland. Stop me if you've heard this before: the Sixers say Covington will wear a splint during his recovery timeframe and be reevaluated in two to three weeks.
When you take a look at the numbers, there's evidence to suggest that's the case.
| Time of year | 3P% | FG% |
| Pre 12/28 | 39.6 | 41.8 |
| Post 12/28 (all regular season) | 35.0 | 40.9 |
It's worth noting here, of course, that Covington is a notoriously streaky shooter who goes through long lulls as it is. So while a damaged middle finger on his non-shooting hand might have provided some discomfort, it's certainly not a full explanation for his erratic play.
Thankfully — at least for those of you who are fans of the work Covington does for Philadelphia — this appears to be a non-serious issue and one Covington will recover from fairly quickly.
More to come...
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