The Philadelphia 76ers have grown accustomed to nosediving when Joel Embiid rests. However, Philadelphia may finally have the pieces required to extinguish this ever-long flaw.
The 76ers’ backup center collective is positioned to provide stability, unlike in years past, without Embiid. Philadelphia has a variety of players, including Adem Bona and Andre Drummond, as well as Jabari Walker, Dominick Barlow, and Johni Broome. Still, each player has something to prove in his own right.
Bona is next up
Bona offered glimpses of two-way brilliance in his rookie season – emerging as an athletic shot-blocking, play-finisher. He produced 5.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and 1.2 blocks per game on average of less than 16 minutes of action. His strong campaign earned him favor with the fandom as many believe he should be Philadelphia’s main reserve center.
However, Bona remains a work in progress. His biggest flaw is foul discipline, or lack thereof as he recorded five fouls per 36-minute estimations. Still, this is an issue that can be resolved with experience, which is gained through extended opportunity.
Bona may have gotten a head start on his overall development with a respectable stint on Turkey’s national team in the EuroBasket 2025 tournament. He backed up Alperen Sengun in Turkey’s run to the championship, where it lost to Germany on September 14th. Bona notched per-game marks of 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks.
“I think [EuroBasket] really put [Bona’s] confidence on another level,” Tyrese Maxey told PHLY Sports, Saturday. “He’s just playing a lot more free, he’s more vocal. He’s more confident, you can see him smiling a little bit more.”
Drummond’s mass transformation
Drummond opted into his $5 million player option on June 27th to the aggravation of many fans. He came off a disappointing 2024-25 campaign that saw him miss 42 games primarily because of a left toe sprain. Drummond posted just 7.3 points per game on 50% shooting from the field and 7.8 rebounds per game while losing a step defensively.
While the two-time all-star struggled with defensive mobility throughout his career, the weakness was amplified last season. Opposing guards frequently targeted him when defending pick-and-rolls in drop coverage with a high success rate. Perhaps Drummond’s struggles were caused by a mix of natural regression and injury limitations.
Regardless, he’ll need to be more reliable defensively if Philadelphia heavily relies upon him. However, Drummond may be ready this time around. Nick Nurse told Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice on Sunday that Drummond shed at least 20 pounds. While this may not serve as a fix-all, the veteran may regain some agility, which would help him produce on both ends.
Don’t sleep on the others
While many suspected Bona and Drummond to pace a two-man race for the backup center title, Nurse revealed to Aaronson that there are three to five total contenders. He mentioned Jabari Walker and Dominick Barlow as candidates, while the last one is seemingly a mystery, but it’s reasonable to assume Johni Broome is in the mix as well.
Walker would provide floor-spacing at the five that Philadelphia doesn’t have outside of Embiid, while Barlow would further fill the toolsy two-way niche that Bona falls under. Broome would cater to the 76ers’ rebounding needs, but these three share a common quirk – inexperience. Walker and Barlow totaled just 284 games played as Broome faces questions regarding his limited athleticism entering his rookie year.
Each player in Philadelphia’s five-man reserve big man competition could produce to some degree. It’s just a matter of who can overcome their biggest flaws.