The Philadelphia 76ers are suddenly facing a huge lack when it comes to their center position off the bench behind Joel Embiid. Adem Bona is currently projected as the team's primary backup to their star center, but before he can take advantage of the opportunity he is getting, he has to address a major issue concerning him, which is staying out of foul trouble and being a usable piece in the first place.
Bona's tendency toward fouling a lot has actually been his most defining feature over the last couple of years. That simply cannot happen anymore, lest the coaching staff could be forced to having to resort to other big men on the roster to spell Embiid and anchor the second unit.
Adem Bona has to limit his fouls this season for the 76ers
Last season, Bona was the go-to option for the 76ers when it came to giving Joel Embiid a break. However, that did not last for the entire campaign, as the coaching staff eventually chose to roll with Andre Drummond when the stakes became higher. That was likewise the same decision the team went with come playoff time.
As good as Bona is when it comes to providing the team with some vertical spacing, deterring shots at the rim, and giving the team an imposing presence on the boards, everything starts with him actually making himself available for minutes. Now, if he constantly gets into foul trouble as much as he has, the 76ers will be forced to choose other options on the roster and expose themselves to the possibility of preferring someone else to fill his crucial role.
There are instances wherein players simply have bad luck when it comes to whistles, but with Bona, a sheer majority of the calls against him are simply warranted. He often gets caught either being out of position or falling for initial actions, so his foul troubles are surely self-inflicted.
For now, Adem Bona is the first option for the 76ers off the bench when Embiid needs a breather, but that is far from a permanent proposition. The team has some other options to man the position, even if only in spurts. Hopefully, that factor ends up being enough to cudgel him into playing with more discipline and not being a magnet for foul calls.
After all, given the resounding win-now edict the 76ers are operating under, the team cannot afford to just wait for him to find a solution to his own problem.
Add us as a preferred source on Google