Two months away from the Philadelphia 76ers’ training camp, there’s one unsettling thought on the mind of every fan. We still don’t have a definitive timetable for his return. In his interview with PHLY Sports last week, Daryl Morey only added to the mystery when asked by Kyle Neubeck if there’s something tangible with Embiid’s knee that makes the organization optimistic about his outlook:
“It’s all stuff only internally we’re privy to,” Morey said. “What we’re hearing from Dr. Glashow, what we’re hearing from the early returns on his rehab that he’s working very hard on. I think it’s gonna be hard to have anything tangible for the fans until you see him out there in training camp, in early preseason games, [etc].”
While this isn’t the worst news we could’ve gotten, it certainly doesn’t inspire confidence with Embiid’s ability to get back to an MVP-caliber status. Between this and Embiid admitting that there’s no set date for his return, it’s justifiable to question if he’ll be ready for the start of next season. Even if he is, he’ll inevitably miss a notable portion of games due to load management, which will put Philadelphia’s front-court to the test.
Currently, the 76ers have Adem Bona, Andre Drummond, and maybe Johni Broome to backup Embiid. While there’s potential, this tandem isn’t the most convincing big man insurance. Each of these players has flaws they must iron out to keep Philadelphia when Embiid misses time. Still, this group of big men is good enough, it’s just a matter of development and sustainability. So, while there are things that need to be worked on, the 76ers don’t need to search for another center as it stands.
Bona should be the main backup center
Amidst the chaos of last season, Bona emerged as a bouncy rim-running, shot-blocking center that the 76ers haven’t had since Richaun Holmes. But, he’s still rough around the edges – averaging 3.3 fouls and turnovers per game in just over 22 minutes of action in the Summer League. Heading into 2025-26, he’ll need to work on his foul discipline and protecting the ball.
Regardless, with his exciting two-way potential, he should be Philadelphia’s primary reserve big. In a sense, Bona is a polar opposite of Embiid as someone who can emphatically roll to the rim and showcase elite leaping ability as a help-side blocker. If he can improve his perimeter shot, there could be some instances where he can even play alongside Embiid. Nonetheless, Bona’s athleticism adds an invaluable dynamic to the front-court.
Can Drummond still produce?
Last summer, the 76ers brought in Drummond to be their Embiid insurance, but for one reason or another, his production fell off a cliff. He was limited to 40 games primarily because of a toe injury. Between this and possible regression, issues that he dealt with most of his career were amplified. Due to his lack of defensive mobility, he was targeted in actions and he also struggled to finish at the rim. With him on the floor, Philadelphia has a point differential of -14.3 points per 100 possessions, which is not good.
With a full summer to get healthy, maybe he can return to causing havoc off the glass and being an effective pick-and-roll partner. Still, with his defensive limitations and inefficiency, it’s best to reserve Drummond for occasional matchups.
What is Johni Broome?
Then, there’s Johni Broome, who I view as more of a power forward. However, after a strong showing in the Summer League, that stance has changed a bit. Broome displayed the capability to space the floor – shooting 45.5% from beyond the arc in the Las Vegas circuit. His offensive skill-set was everything you could want from a post-centric big man with flashes of three-point shooting. The biggest question is, can this along with decent enough defense translate to the NBA?
Broome held up well defending in space, but until he can prove that this can hold up against NBA front-courts, it’s difficult to forecast him as purely a center. However, Philadelphia can and should experiment with him at the five depending on if he can translate and what the matchup is.