by Doug Ammon

Although it seemed like a routine move at the time, the Sixers’ signing of Robert Covington could prove to be one of the more impactful transactions the team makes this season.

It came on November 15, in the middle of a grueling Texas Triangle road trip in which Philadelphia faced the class of the Western Conference. In the midst of a nine-game losing streak to start the season, the reigning D-League Rookie of the Year, Covington, arrived in Houston to join the team with little pomp and circumstance.

To fans of teams in the Ohio Valley Conference Covington was a household name, but to most Philadelphians he was just one of several dozen players who have donned a Sixers jersey over the past two seasons

His first game came against the world champion San Antonio Spurs, and in 17 minutes of action he scored six points and went 0-for-1 from behind the arc. His Sixers career went that way over the next two games as well; he went 2-for-9 from the field and only converted on one three-pointer on four attempts during that stretch. But then the 6’9” forward arrived at Madison Square Garden.

A week after signing with the Sixers, Covington had a breakout game on the big New York City stage, scoring 14 points in 14 minutes and going 4-for-4 from deep against the Knicks.

The Tennessee State product then went four games without scoring more than nine points, only attempting six three pointers in that same span. It was starting to look as if Covington’s performance against the Knicks was an anomaly rather than an indicator.

Desperate for a win and faced with injuries to both Tony Wroten and Alexey Shved, Coach Brown was forced to tinker with his lineup. Against the Timberwolves on December 1, he devised a rotation that saw Covington receive a serious increase in minutes. He responded, dropping a career-high 17 points and going 3-for-6 from three-point territory in 31 minutes of action. He played a key role that night, helping the Sixers earn win of the season.

Something clicked for Covington that night, and he hasn’t looked back since.

His December numbers compared to November are staggering. He went from averaging 4.6 points on 28.6% shooting to 17.3 points on 43.9% shooting and from converting less than one three a game on less than two attempts to knocking down 3.1 a game on 6.9 attempts. He has made at least two three pointers in each of his last eight games, which is longest multi-three streak for the Sixers since Jason Richardson made hit 10 straight in November of 2012.

In the Sixers’ two wins this season, Covington is averaging 21.0 points on 51.9% shooting and 6-of-11 from downtown. On December 6, in an OT win against the Pistons, he set a new career high with 25 points, one of four times he has gone for 20 or more points in the month of December alone.

It could be argued that Michael Carter-Williams has been the primary beneficiary of Covington’s increased production. The reigning Rookie of the Year has averaged 10.0 assists per game in the month of December, almost double the amount he registered in November. More than a quarter of those assists (2.8 per game) have been to Covington, primarily on kick outs to for catch-and-shoot opportunities from deep.

Coach Brown said on Monday that the Sixers have not had the kind of perimeter firepower Covington has brought since he took over as head coach last summer. The stats back up that claim. He ranks 11th three-point shooting percentage this season at 44.8%, ahead of sharpshooters like J.J. Redick and Stephen Curry.

Fans have caught on too and have taken to throwing around a variety of nicknames when talking about the 24-year-old – RC3, Big Shot Bob, Bobby Buckets…

“It’s a big confidence booster that coach has the confidence in me and my teammates do as well,” he told reporters earlier this month. “With me being a capable shooter, whenever they find me it’s a good look.”

Fire away, Bob.