The Philadelphia 76ers will have to dig deep into their bench next season, but even that seems to be a bit of a grim proposition before the campaign even starts.
Thanks to the ongoing mystery around Joel Embiid and his return to play, the 76ers face a massive question mark at the center position. Now, the coaching staff has a handful of options between the veteran Andre Drummond, rookie big man Johni Broome, and incoming sophomore Adem Bona, but given how last season went, it is more likely that the latter will get the call more often than not to man the pivotal role off the bench.
Having said that, we all know that Embiid’s primary backup will not just spend most of his time waiting on the bench for his number to get called. Even when the superstar is healthy, the 76ers will rest him as much as possible, meaning that his backup will have to play significant moments, especially when he is sidelined for an entire game.
Bona, who flashed real potential last season thanks to his strong finishing ability and athleticism, is perhaps the safest option out of him, Drummond, and Boome. However, he is definitely not without his faults.
76ers see a new red flag from Adem Bona that could spill over to next season
Bona is currently suiting up for Turkey in the Eurobasket, serving as All-Star big man Alperen Sengun’s backup. However, suffice to say that his first game was far from impressive.
In just 15 minutes of action, Bona racked up five personal fouls, overshadowing his impressive display on defense. Now, his team did win over a Latvia team spearheaded by Kristaps Porzingis and Davis Bertans.
Now, discipline is something he should be able to figure out as he matures, but for now, his shortcomings on that end will definitely hurt the team next season especially since he is projected to have a considerable role.
The 76ers cannot afford to have Embiid’s main backup being someone who always gets into foul trouble. Some of their options at center are not exactly inspiring, and Bona adds a different dimension to the team with the vertical spacing and high-efficiency finishing he provides.
Hopefully, Adem Bona can fix his proneness to fouling next season. Otherwise, the 76ers will be forced to tap into even more inferior options to help reinforce the cushion behind their best player.