If there is one thing the Philadelphia 76ers should easily be able to take away from this season, it is the indisputable fact that they remain unequipped to fully implement their supposed plan with Joel Embiid. The team entered the season with the full knowledge that they will have to be extra conservative with their superstar, but their depth at the center position remains shallow.
Adem Bona, who is coming off his sophomore campaign, was the All-Star's primary backup for the most part in the regular season, but he simply did not produce well enough to entrench himself in that role. Alas, given the way his contract is set up, he is quietly entering a make-or-break year next season.
The Turkish big man saw the floor more this season compared to his rookie campaign, but his production felt flat. He basically turned in the same numbers as last year, although his efficiency as a finisher took a major hit. He eventually got phased out of the rotation when the playoffs began, which is not exactly an ideal sign for him moving forward.
Adem Bona is facing a make-or-break year with the 76ers next season
Bona's biggest strength is his rim protection, but there remain certain quirks in his game that prevent him from fully maximizing his gifts on that end. He is still frustratingly prone to quick fouls, which is easily the biggest reason why the coaching staff has not been able to deploy him more on the hardwood.
After shooting 70.3 percent from the field in his freshman campaign, he saw a steep decline from an efficiency standpoint. He drained just 59.5 percent of his shots this season, which is hardly an encouraging figure for someone who operates exclusively in the restricted area. That is made all the more baffling by the fact that he is supposed to be the lone source of vertical spacing on this team.
Bona has to accelerate his development because so far, his limited ceiling is quite clear –– an energizer bunny off the bench who is way too limited on the offensive end to hand a bigger role to while being markedly undisciplined to consistently impact the game as a paint protector.
The 76ers hold a team option in his contract for the 2027-28 campaign, which means that next season will essentially function as an audition of some sorts for him. If he cannot prove himself to be a capable backup to and fill-in starter for Embiid, the team will undoubtedly start looking elsewhere to fulfill such a critical role.
That is, assuming they haven't already.
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