The 2024 NBA Draft was quite memorable for the Philadelphia 76ers, but mostly for the most regretful reasons. They were able to select Jared McCain outside of the lottery, yet in just a hair over a year, the front office decided that his stint with the franchise was over. Meanwhile, the other prospect the got, Adem Bona, has been far from remarkable thus far.
Well, Bona has been serviceable at best. The 76ers have stuck with him as their primary backup big man, but his game leaves a lot to be desired. That is more so the case when you consider that the team barely missed out on a better option at center in Oso Ighodaro, who was taken just one spot ahead of Bona.
Yes, the Trail Blazers drafted Ighodaro (who ultimately ended up with the Suns) with the 40th overall pick in the draft whereas the 76ers made a swing for Bona with the 41st selection in the second round. Now, Ighodaro is not a star or anything close to it, but he has certainly been a more solid big man at this juncture.
The 76ers could have had Oso Ighodaro over Adem Bona
The numbers turned in by Ighodaro are, by themselves, not that superior to what Bona has registered, so it is acceptable if one thinks that we are simply engaged in a rather futile exercise of splitting hairs at this point. However, that is not the case. Beyond a visceral look into the stats, Ighodaro has simply been the better player.
The 23-year-old big man has become one of the most vital pieces for the surprising Suns, which are in the thick of the playoff race in the brutal West. He is averaging 6.5 points, five rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game this season, and even those figures fail to quantify his all-around impact for Phoenix.
Unlike Bona, who has a plethora of raw aspects in his game, Ighodaro has simply been the more polished prospect. They are both 23, yet the latter has been far more reliable thanks to his range of offerings, which starts from having great court sense.
Bona, on the other hand, is still prone to lapses on both ends. Sure, he offers vertical spacing and shot-blocking, but those are the end-all, be-all for him. Ighodaro is different in that he can impact the game more with his shrewd play.
Well, there is no use crying over spilled milk, but Ighodaro getting drafted exactly before Bona is one of those instances which will make a fan think hard of the hypotheticals. Hopefully, Bona can grow quickly to sweep those sentiments away.