76ers' Robert Covington: Won't face restrictions Thursday vs. Pelicans

Covington (knee, illness) isn't expected to face any restrictions in Thursday's game against the Pelicans, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com reports.

Analysis:

After having previously ruled out Covington for the final two games of their current road trip, the 76ers surprisingly announced earlier Thursday that the forward would play in the contest. Despite having not logged a full practice in the past week and missing the 76ers' past three games, Covington has evidently fully recovered from his sprained left knee (as well as a minor bout with an illness), so coach Brett Brown isn't expected to limit his minutes. With that in mind, look for Covington to take back his normal role as the team's starting small forward, pushing the struggling Nik Stauskas back to the bench.