It took just a few social media posts for Philadelphia 76ers fans to regain faith in Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia has been posting content from its practices held over the past few weeks, which have included pictures of Embiid taking shots. While it’s encouraging to see him back on the court, fans are missing one crucial detail.
Embiid hasn’t worn a scrimmage jersey in the 76ers’ posts, which could signify that he is limited to individual workouts. His timetable for return has yet to be revealed, with media day and training camp quickly approaching. Philadelphia may have to play its preseason games without Embiid, which could shed light on its backup center situation involving Andre Drummond and Adem Bona.
Drummond has a bit to prove
Drummond served as the 76ers’ main backup center last season as he started in 23 of his 40 games played. Nick Nurse preferred Drummond’s 13-year experience over Adem Bona’s unfamiliarity in his rookie campaign.
However, Drummond’s struggles from a health and performance standpoint narrowed the gap between the two players. He finished the season with averages of 7.3 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game, both of which were worse finishes than the year prior.
Drummond has grappled with defensive mobility and limited shot creation throughout his career, but those issues were amplified last season. The 32-year-old missed 42 games primarily because of a left toe sprain at some point in December. Perhaps Drummond’s shortcomings were due to a mix of natural regression and injuries.
Regardless, he’ll need to have a resurgence in the upcoming season for Philadelphia to remain competitive in games where Embiid will inevitably rest, especially since he opted into his $5 million player option on June 27th.
Bona’s stock is trending upward
While Bona showed glimpses of promise in his rookie season, he’s still a work in progress. Bona notched five fouls per game per 36-minute estimations last year. He tended to be over-aggressive defensively, which led to him falling prone to foul trouble. Bona displayed similar tendencies in the Summer League in July.
Still, his upside triumphs over that of Drummond’s. His evolving ability as a rim-running, shot-blocking center could provide the 76ers with a critical jolt off the bench. Bona has also displayed a unique fake hand-off move that has yielded him many easy looks at the rim.
Bona notched 5.8 points per game on 70.3% shooting from the field, 4.2 rebounds per game, and 1.2 blocks per game in 58 appearances last season.
He is primed to take another step forward in the 2025-26 season and can fully evolve into Philadelphia’s primary reserve center if he improves his foul discipline.
Drummond should be the guy for now
Drummond should start in games Embiid misses heading into the season. But, it's not because he is the better player. Bona’s foul tendencies could prove to be more of a magnified issue with starter minutes and Drummond – lacking defensive agility – would only dig the 76ers into a deeper hole subbing in for Bona.
With Drummond starting, Bona would have the chance to endure growing pains while still providing a flashy two-way impact coming off the bench. Once the second-year center irons out his weaknesses, then he should become Philadelphia’s go-to option in games without Embiid, which should happen at some point soon.
However, in games Embiid plays, Bona should undoubtedly be the primary option at backup center. His athleticism and versatility provide a strong contrast to Embiid’s traditional drop coverage, which could be pivotal in some matchups.