Minnesota Timberwolves: Robert Covington should be Defensive Player of the Year

Robert Covington is having himself a solid season thus far and has stood out on the defensive end of the floor. Here’s his case for winning Defensive Player of the Year.

The Minnesota Timberwolves hired Tom Thibodeau in the spring of 2016, hoping that he would turn the organization around. The team desperately needed help on the defensive end and the hope of bringing Thibs in was that he could change that.

However, Minnesota’s defensive rating since his hire has not been good. In his first two seasons, the team’s defensive rating has been a lofty 110.9 (No. 27) in 2016-17 and 110.1 (No. 25) in 2017-18, according to NBA.com.

This season, the Wolves defensive rating has gone down to 108.3 (15).

Adding Jimmy Butler in the summer of 2017 was thought to be the answer to most of the Wolves’ problems. He’s a defensive superstar, having earned NBA All-Defensive second team honors four times. Despite his success on that end of the floor, Minnesota never found it’s rhythm.

On Nov. 10, the team decided to send away Butler and Justin Patton to Philadelphia for a package of Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round pick. At the time, it sure seemed nice to get two players who could stretch the floor and play defense.

But, 11 games later, did anyone really think that this trade would have been this good? Saric has played well off the bench, but it’s been Covington who has really shown-out in Minneapolis. He’s a great 3-point shooter and defender, which are the exact two things that Minnesota desperately needed.

Since the addition on Nov. 10, Minnesota has had great success on defense. The team boasts a defensive rating of 101.4, placing them second in the league.

This tweet was before Wednesday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, but one game hasn’t made that much of a difference. It’s incredible what he’s been able to do for the Timberwolves. He’s practically turned this defense around single-handedly.

His energy and communication has affected the game in a way that was unimaginable. And make no mistake, Covington has always been a good defender. He was an NBA All-Defensive first team last season. He’s also averaged well over one steal per game the last handful of years.

With all the great defenders in the league at the wing position, it’s pretty incredible that he’s leading all wing players in defensive real plus-minus. Remember, that’s a list that includes Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Paul George.

All three of those players are considered to be amongthe best defenders in the league. Covington may not be making the same amount of headlines as those players, but his impact defensively has been greater than any one of them this season.

There’s no question that adding Covington and Saric have helped. The chemistry has changed and the team has finally figured out their identity. Players are smiling, making extra passes and playing for one another.

Danny Cunningham of ESPN 1500 published an article following the Timberwolves incredible comeback win over the Houston Rockets. Here’s what RoCo had to say about the team finding it’s groove.

"“They were getting a lot of easy stuff in the first half, but the second half, we came [into the locker room], we talked, and we allowed ourselves to make the transition. We held each other accountable, that’s the biggest thing. Guys are really holding each other accountable and, like you said, no drop off, really. That’s the identity, that’s what we’re doing as a team is holding each other more accountable.”"

Seeing the players talk and hold each other accountable without getting upset or stepping on each others toes as they were in pre-Butler trade mode is truly a remarkable turnaround.

Even looking beyond the numbers, you can see the impact he’s had on this team. He’s turned the defense into one of the best in the league. Whether they can sustain it over a longer period of time is something that’s still to be seen, but the improvement certainly seems to be legitimate.

Oh and one last thing … let’s enjoy this clip of Covington ripping away Clint Capela‘s potential dunk.

Clearly, Covington’s impact makes him a legit candidate for winning Defensive Player of the Year.

But for now, let’s focus on enjoying this run and the completely new identity of the Timberwolves.