In a shocking twist that nobody could have predicted after the way the Philadelphia 76ers' previous season panned out, head coach Nick Nurse has made it blatantly obvious that, for the time being, Adem Bona will not be Joel Embiid's understudy -- the veteran presence, Andre Drummond, has been blessed with this role.
Despite showcasing the immense potential he has on the defensive end of the floor during the final stages of the 76ers' dreadful 2024-25 campaign, Bona has been deemed unworthy of a prominent place in the rotation, especially in comparison to his experienced compatriot.
Bona fails to win Nick Nurse's trust
During his preseason media duties, Nick Nurse teased Sixers fans with the prospect of an exciting lineup that included both the athletic sophomore and Embiid in an attempt to relieve the franchise superstar's workload on defense; however, this has yet to come to fruition.
As a rim-protector, Bona's natural instincts to emphatically swat away his opponents' shots in the paint are nothing short of spectacular. When provided the opportunity to showcase his skills in the final two months of last season (April and May), the 22-year-old averaged around 2.2 blocks per game -- while recording five blocks on two occasions.
Nevertheless, this ridiculous blocking ability comes with needless foul trouble that not only provides his head coach with an unwanted predicament, but it also puts a relentless amount of pressure on his teammates. Considering that Bona's role in the rotation would be to allow Nurse to manage Embiid's minutes, it would be a senseless act of self-sabotage to put such a large level of trust in a player who appears to fall victim to each and every pump fake.
Nick Nurse clearly agrees with this notion, as Drummond has featured for around 79 minutes over the last three Philadelphia fixtures. In comparison, Bona has recorded around 36 minutes. There could be several reasons for the significant difference in the players' game time. Still, it does not take a Nobel Prize winner to understand that the head coach does not believe Bona could have a positive effect on proceedings when he will be needed most.
Unfortunately for Adem Bona, it is unlikely that he will be granted a larger portion of minutes in the rotation, as Andre Drummond continues to roll back the years with a string of dominant performances in the paint. For now, the veteran is providing a safe pair of hands to fall back on when Embiid recuperates on the bench, which the young center is sadly failing to do.