Establishing the spot as Joel Embiid's understudy has proven an impossible task for many. While Adem Bona's athleticism and effort on defense should make him the perfect option for the Philadelphia 76ers, immaturity still surrounds the young center's game. For this reason alone, it is becoming increasingly difficult to foresee Bona being a positive option on a championship contender, especially now the Sixers have landed a second youthful option in Ariel Hukporti.
Adem Bona must mature, and fast
The City of Philadelphia adores players who wear their hearts on their sleeves and throw their bodies on the line for the 76ers franchise. Adem Bona is somebody who matches this identity. Whether he has a good or a bad performance, one thing you can't deny is that he leaves everything on the court. Strangely, this is somehow his biggest flaw.
Time and time again, Bona has sparked the Philadelphia crowd into life with an enthusiastic block as he relentlessly hunts down his opponent. Despite averaging just 16.6 minutes on the floor throughout his career, the 23-year-old has recorded 1.2 blocks per game to showcase his defensive acumen. Still, sadly, the impressive numbers run parallel with a worrying issue.
While Bona may carry the appearance of a future All-NBA Defensive star, his lack of maturity and overeagerness to make a big play continue to impact his team negatively -- especially in the moments they need him most.
In Game 3 of the 76ers' series against the Boston Celtics, Bona recorded three blocks but fouled out, which was an overbearing factor in his team suffering defeat and resulted in Nick Nurse sentencing the center to a major bench role in his next two games.
Bona failed to learn his lesson as Philadelphia scraped through to the next round of the postseason. The Turkish international registered five fouls in each of the Sixers' first two games in the New York Knicks playoff series. Again, this contributed to the team's downfall, proving he can't be trusted when the spotlight shines brightest.
Ariel Hurkporti could signal the end of Bona's tenure in Philadelphia
Mike Gansey and the Philadelphia 76ers could have made a play for Andre Drummond to help aid the development of Adem Bona. Instead, they opted to sign Ariel Hukporti -- a player who is just one year older than the UCLA alum.
Acquiring a center with similar experience seemingly signals a dogfight for the future position of Joel Embiid's backup. For the 76ers, igniting a competitive spirit could increase each player's motivation to retain their slot in the rotation. However, for the players, one bad performance could spell the end of their time in Philadelphia -- and possibly the entire league.
Hukporti has shown little sign of possessing overly superior attributes to Adem Bona, but styles make fights, and a fresh situation for the former Knicks center could be the platform he needs to showcase his true talents.
Offensively and defensively, Hukporti has shown glimpses of an athletic big who can make plays on both ends of the floor. Philadelphia's new-look roster will reduce the pressure on Hukporti to register inflated statistics during non-Embiid minutes, allowing him to concentrate on suffocating opponents in the paint while his costars wreak havoc on the scoreboard.
The level of talent between Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti is almost identical, but the Philadelphia 76ers must decide on a consistent deputy to Joel Embiid. While Bona may have an existing relationship with the organisation, his head coach is well aware of his immature flaws that negatively impact the team. If the Turkish center doesn't buck up his ideas soon, his time with the Sixers could come to a devastating end.
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