The Philadelphia 76ers’ center position is being tested well beyond Joel Embiid’s health concerns.
Entering training camp, the Sixers had Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti battling for the primary backup five spot, while the ex-Boston Celtics big man Tacko Fall was coming in on a non-guaranteed camp deal to fight for a two-way spot.
One week in, the Sixers are potentially down to just Joel Embiid for now.
Ariel Hukporti suffers an injury scare
Hukporti showed a lot of promise in his first look with the Sixers during their Blue and White scrimmage over the weekend. He was looking to carry over that momentum into the preseason, starting with the opener against his former teammates on the New York Knicks, but his night ended quickly.
While playing defense on Karl-Anthony Towns, Hukporti suffered a non-contact injury. He left the game during the first quarter, leaving many wondering about what’s next for the 76ers regarding the center spot.
Obviously, the Sixers have plenty of testing to go through regarding Hukporti’s setback, but everybody tuned into the action could see that they might not be dealing with something minor. If Hukporti is facing an extended absence, that places the Sixers in a difficult situation.
What can they do next?
Adem Bona hasn’t debuted in training camp yet. The third-year center is dealing with a foot injury, which has him sidelined and waiting on a re-evaluation. Tacko Fall participated in the first two days of camp, but went down with an injury that could keep him off the court for at least two weeks.
According to The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the Sixers like the current setup that might not include Hukporti, but it’s not exactly a comforting situation at the moment. The long-term effect of Bona’s setback is unclear. Dominick Barlow is another option, but he’s also dealing with a setback currently. While Jabari Walker is having a strong start to camp, he was viewed as a cut candidate not long ago due to his contract.
The Sixers have an open roster spot to fill, but that’s expected to remain open for the first few months of the season. If they feel they need to make an emergency change, then follow-up roster moves would need to be made in order to make that work financially.
It’s not time to panic yet, but the next few injury evaluations could force the Sixers to make some early moves they wanted to avoid.
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