76ers Release Post All-Star Break Injury Update on Robert Covington

The Philadelphia 76ers haven’t had their veteran reserve, Robert Covington, in the rotation for nearly two months. The last time Covington appeared on the court for Philadelphia was back on December 30, when the Sixers paid a visit to the Chicago Bulls.

Amidst the 13-point loss to the Bulls, Covington played in fewer than five minutes. When the team returned for the new year, hosting the Bulls for a rematch in South Philly, Covington was ruled inactive with a bone bruise in his knee for the first time since December 20.

While the severity of Covington’s setback was unknown early on, the injury has kept Covington off the floor for a lot longer than anybody expected. He went through the entire month of January without making a single appearance.

While the Sixers were hopeful he would be back soon, head coach Nick Nurse made it clear earlier this month that Covington still had a little ways to go before he would be cleared for action. The veteran wouldn’t return before the All-Star break.

When the Sixers went into the break after a five-point loss against the Miami Heat on February 14, Covington missed his 22nd game in a row. When the Sixers return to face the New York Knicks on Thursday night, he’ll miss 23 straight — and his return to action remains weeks away, unfortunately.

According to a team official, Covington has a goal of ramping up on-court activities within the next two to three weeks. He’ll be re-evaluated in approximately 10-14 days.

While that’s a positive sign for Covington’s chances of returning to action at some point during the regular season, there still isn’t a definitive target date for his return to the rotation. As the Sixers will have to play out the remainder of his recovery by ear, basing his return on how well he progresses in the coming weeks, Covington still has some time off before he suits up again.