The Philadelphia 76ers are not exactly humming as of late, but they have definitely had a much more stable rotation over the last couple of weeks. One decision that has been consistent recently is the decision of the coaching staff to play Adem Bona over Andre Drummond when the team is in full capacity — a move that has divided the fanbase.
There is little doubt that Nick Nurse has prioritized giving playing time to the sophomore big man to accelerate his growth and get him to be ready for a considerable role moving forward as the primary backup to Joel Embiid. But in mothballing Drummond, the 76ers have only exacerbated one of their biggest roster holes — rebounding.
For now, the 76ers are willingly absorbing the attendant and obvious risks of playing Bona over Drummond. However, that decision is starting to look really hasty, especially with the team still struggling heavily on the boards. It might be time for the coaches to reconsider going with this setup as a permanent quirk in the rotation.
The 76ers have to reconsider playing Adem Bona over Andre Drummond
The veteran Drummond has only seen the floor in recent weeks when Embiid is sidelined, stepping into his role in the starting unit. But when Embiid is available, he has consistently racked up DNPs, which is a clear indication about what the 76ers feel about him at this juncture.
It also does not help that the front office is strangely amenable to shipping him away before the trade deadline. If anything, it cannot be any more obvious that the team does not hold him in high regard — which is probably a huge mistake.
As of writing, the 76ers are near the bottom-third of the league in rebounds per game. They also have the eighth-worst rebounding percentage in the NBA. That makes it all the more puzzling that the coaching staff has gone away from Drummond, who has had a great bounce-back season so far.
Despite averaging under 20 minutes per game, Drummond is the leading rebounder on the 76ers roster with 8.7 boards a night. His per-36 numbers are even more eye-popping, registering 16 rebounds when scaled up to such serving of playing time. Among all regulars, no one even comes close to him. Jabari Walker is right at second with 9.1 rebounds.
Bona? He’s averaging just 8.5 boards per 36 minutes. That is clearly not good enough for a primary backup center. Despite his edge as a rim deterrent and lob threat, the 76ers have a more pressing need when it comes to rebounding, which Drummond can easily solve by simply being on the court.
If the 76ers are dead serious about making a deep playoff run, they must embrace Andre Drummond and lean into his primary skill as a rebounder. Developing Adem Bona is also important, but given their win-now stance, that takes a backseat to their major issue on the boards.