76ers rookie has a major opportunity for the rest of the season

With 16 games left in the regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers have one goal in mind – losing as much as possible to maximize their chances in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery. However, an intriguing subplot has taken shape. Philadelphia’s top-end talent has been ransacked by injuries, which has opened up a surplus of minutes that’ve ultimately been occupied by its young prospects. 

Regardless of the 76ers’ direction, many of these prospects have yet to find their footing in the NBA and compete each night to find a permanent home. Still, one player could potentially be auditioning for an increased role in Philadelphia next season – rookie center Adem Bona.

Adem Bona's new opportunity

Even with Joel Embiid playing 19 games this season, there hasn’t been much of an opportunity for Bona to shine as Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele have typically started in his place and taken up the center rotation. As a result, Bona has appeared in just 47 of the 76ers’ 66 games where he averaged 12.4 minutes and posted four points per game on 68.3% from the field, 3.3 rebounds per game, and 0.9 blocks per game. 

With Philadelphia’s tank in full effect, Bona has finally gotten consistent playing time, which he has taken advantage of. In his last four games, Bona has played no less than 23 minutes and finished with at least 12 points in each contest. He’s coming off of a near double-double of 16 points and nine rebounds in the 76ers’ 112-100 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday where the 76ers had just eight players available.

Bona’s impact cannot be properly measured by the box score as his potential on the defensive end is glaring. Bona has proved to be most impactful as a help defender – using his awareness and athleticism to crash into the paint and shut down dribble penetration from the opposing team. He has also held his own when switched onto guards and forwards.

Adem Bona's areas of improvement

Still, Bona is a rookie and as any rookie does, he came into the NBA with his weak points. While Bona has proved himself as a quality defender, his talent often goes to waste due to his poor foul discipline when rotating and defending down low. Per 36 minutes, Bona is averaging 5.6 fouls, which would essentially make him unplayable. 

On the other end, Bona’s skill-set is largely dependent on pick-and-rolls where he rolls to the rim and capitalizes on easy finishes. Occasionally, he takes defenders off the dribble and gets to the paint, but his shooting ability only extends to the restricted area. With questionable spacing, Bona’s role is currently limited to that of a reserve.

Bona must use the last month of the regular season to develop and with proper improvement, he could potentially be Philadelphia’s primary backup center. With Andre Drummond’s notable decline this season, Bona has a legit chance to cement himself in the 76ers’ rotation next season if he improves within the margins.