Foul trouble has served as an anchor on Adem Bona’s second-year development. However, on Saturday night, he finally broke loose and boasted his full capabilities in the Philadelphia 76ers’ win against the Dallas Mavericks.
Bona limited himself to two personal fouls and recorded a near double-double of 10 points and eight rebounds in Philadelphia’s 121-114 victory over Dallas. Poor foul discipline has minimized his role this season, giving way to Andre Drummond’s return as Philadelphia’s primary backup center. But, if Bona can avoid foul trouble, it could open the door to increased opportunity.
Heading into the 2025-26 campaign, many crowned Bona as the 76ers’ second-best big man behind Joel Embiid. The UCLA product showcased potential as a shot-blocker and rim-runner, tallying 13.4 points and 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes last year. Not to mention, Drummond seemingly lost a step, appearing in just 41 games and struggling to impact either end of the court.
Except, the 14-year veteran grew more than the sophomore so far this season.
Drummond has flipped the script, averaging 7.5 points on 52.8% shooting from the field, 9.6 rebounds and one block through 27 games, all of which are improvements from last year. He has been nimbler in various ways, whether fighting for second-chance points or protecting the rim. What’s more, the center is shooting 41.7% from three-point range on 1.4 attempts.
Meanwhile, Bona has dealt with the same struggles he faced in his rookie campaign: three-point shooting and foul trouble. Although the 22-year-old made his lone perimeter attempt last night, he is attempting 0.2 triples this season, limiting his offensive impact. Bona has given Philadelphia a boost on both ends of the floor, nonetheless, making plays out of pick-and-rolls and providing explosive defensive rotations.
The only issue is that the second-year center’s contributions are overshadowed by constant fouling woes, accumulating three personal fouls in four of his last five outings. Bona is prone to foul trouble because of his aggressiveness on the defensive end, frequently applying excessive contact guarding at the rim or in an attempt to deny entry passes.
As a result, Nurse has relied upon Drummond to start in Embiid’s absences and shoulder the majority of the backup center minutes. Despite Bona’s higher ceiling, Drummond provides the 76ers with a higher chance of winning in most matchups. Still, the second-year center can be a critical part of Philadelphia’s reserve unit.
His help defense was critical in the 76ers’ slowing down Cooper Flagg in the fourth quarter yesterday, who shot 2-6 from the field in the frame. Bona’s athleticism and quickness allow Philadelphia to deploy more versatile coverages like switching and hedging, schemes Drummond sometimes has difficulty executing due to his mobility at 32-years-old.
Bona may not be the 76ers’ marquee reserve center this season, but if he improves his foul discipline, his defensive abilities can be pivotal as seen against the Mavericks. Once the sophomore overcomes this, it’s plausible for him and Drummond to receive equal opportunity.