The Philadelphia 76ers have much better depth at center next season to serve as their cushion behind Joel Embiid, who is still nursing a major knee injury. However, whoever profiles as his main backup remains a question worth asking to the coaching staff, who will most certainly look to establish a pecking order at center come training camp.
For now, Adem Bona seems like the best option to spell Embiid off the bench. Andre Drummond is getting up there in age, and his waning production only signals that the 76ers should finally move on from him. Meanwhile, the incoming sophomore has an intriguing skill set which no one else on the roster can really provide with his vertical spacing and raw athleticism.
Having said that, he is not alone on that island. Put more simply, Bona is not the only one who boasts a niche ability, as the same can be said about rookie big man Johni Broome, whom the 76ers drafted in the second round during this year’s draft.
If Broome edges Bona out for the backup center spot, that could immediately cut short the latter’s stint in Philly much earlier than fans expected.
Johni Broome could usurp Adem Bona if the 76ers sacrifice defense for scoring off the bench
Broome is undeniably a much better offensive player than Bona, and his Summer League returns prove that. While profiling more as a conventional back to the basket big, he has also expanded his range out to the three-point line — something entirely missing from Bona’s portfolio.
The coaching staff could very well come to a point where they value offense more than defense in the second unit. The 76ers bench has been one of the worst-scoring second units in the league over the last two seasons, and if their scoring options behind the starters fail to score consistently, Nick Nurse and his staff could look to Broome to provide more stability on that end.
Also, the 76ers have not had a scoring big man off the bench for quite some time now, and inserting Broome to round out the team’s guard-heavy dynamic will do well to balance their attack.
There is also the added element of Bona having more mileage on him right from the get-go as he is slated to play in the Eurobasket for Turkey, and the 76ers could deem it best to modulate his court time to start things off.
At this point in his career, Bona is someone who is very reliant on others pulling out the defense and throwing lobs for him. There is nothing wrong that, but if the Philadelphia 76ers wish to augment the scoring off the bench and/or try to fill Embiid’s void whenever he is sidelined, Johni Broome could get his number called first.