For the entirety of the offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers have chosen the path of radio silence when it pertains to the fitness of franchise superstar Joel Embiid, who had undergone arthroscopic left knee surgery in April.
However, in a surprising turn of events, the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player participated in the Sixers' in-house scrimmage on October 12 -- with Philadelphia's head coach Nick Nurse stating that if Embiid remains healthy this campaign, he will potentially play minutes from the power forward position, while the athletic sophomore Adem Bona occupies the center spot.
Nick Nurse suggests Embiid may have a new role
Adam Aaronson, 76ers beat writer for The Philly Voice, posted on X that "Nick Nurse seemed optimistic talking about the idea of Joel Embiid and Adem Bona playing together."
He then went on to write, "He said that in those lineups, Embiid is the four, and Bona is in the five."
Nick Nurse seemed optimistic talking about the idea of Joel Embiid and Adem Bona playing together. He said that in those lineups, Embiid is the four and Bona is the five. Highlighted high-low passing, rebounding and rim protection as areas where that pairing can thrive.
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) October 12, 2025
In theory, this experiment between Bona and Embiid could solve a lingering issue that has plagued the 76ers for several campaigns -- the ability to rebound the ball. During the 2024-25 season, Philadelphia recorded the worst rebounding record in the NBA -- registering 39.8 boards per game.
This game plan introduces a dynamic that Sixers fans have yet to witness under Nurse's reign: a versatile lineup that does not rely solely on Embiid to do all the heavy lifting on both sides of the ball. Bona can aid the 31-year-old defensively with the impressive rim-protecting ability that he showcased during his rookie season.
Theory may be better than the execution
When Nurse describes this master plan out loud to the media, it sounds like an effective tactic that could solve several conundrums for the Sixers; nevertheless, it does come with its own issues that would prevent the idea from achieving little success.
If the 76ers' head coach is going to trust Bona with a vital role in the rotation, the sophomore must be motivated to cut naive fouls out of his game. During both of Philadelphia's preseason matchups with the New York Knicks in Abu Dhabi, Bona quickly fouled his opponents twice in the first quarter, which resulted in him taking a seat on the bench for prolonged periods of the game.
Personnel issues could also hinder Nurse's ability to field a lineup that relies on attributes similar to those of this duo. If Embiid falls victim to another injury -- which history would suggest is probable -- then who would the head coach experiment with in this rotation? Or would he abandon a tactic that he has spent a portion of his preseason trying to perfect?
Joel Embiid's position change could make for interesting viewing for Philadelphia 76ers fans. If it pays off, then the franchise would have the opportunity to rival other Eastern Conference teams at the summit of the regular-season standings.