At last, the Philadelphia 76ers are improving in center depth. As they close out the second week of the 2026-2027 NBA season, the Sixers got two players back in the mix on Saturday night against the Charlotte Hornets.
Jabari Walker returned to the court after battling a knee-related concern over the past couple of weeks. As for the big man Tacko Fall, he was also cleared to play for the first time since joining the Sixers to battle for the final two-way spot during the preseason.
Since the Sixers were on night two of a back-to-back set, they were shorthanded in Charlotte. The first game was NBA Cup action against the New York Knicks. It made sense to have all available hands on deck. Therefore, Joel Embiid and LeBron James played in the tight victory at home.
Both stars were ruled out against the Hornets on Saturday night. With Embiid missing his second set of action this season, the Sixers decided to roll with Adem Bona as a starter for the first time this season. Typically the team’s primary backup, Bona stepped in for 22 minutes in Charlotte. Fortunately, the Sixers didn’t have to rely too heavily on Dean Wade to spend some of his 30 minutes of action at the five, thanks to the return of Jabari Walker.
Tacko Fall is still waiting on a debut
Yes, Tacko Fall is back for the Sixers. The team quietly cleared the ex-Celtic after upgrading his status to questionable on the afternoon of Saturday’s game.
During the early stages of training camp, Fall suffered a setback, which automatically took him off the court for at least a two-week timeline. He missed the entire preseason, and that absence stretched into the regular season.
Considering the 76ers’ lack of center depth, Fall was the obvious candidate to land a two-way deal with the team. Unfortunately, he remains the biggest mystery on the team. Despite being down Joel Embiid and LeBron James, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse opted to leave Fall out of the 10-man rotation, which included Labaron Philon Jr. for 10 minutes and a pinch of Justin Edwards minutes.
If Fall can’t get on the court while missing two other center options, it’s a sign that shows how difficult his path is to playing time.
As for Walker, he garnered 19 minutes of action on Saturday. He was efficient from the field, making 5-of-8 shots to score 12 points. Along with his scoring, Walker came down with six rebounds. He remains an interesting player to keep an eye on this season, as his contract isn’t fully guaranteed. For the time being, the 76ers clearly have a role for him that changes depending on the situation.
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