Through all the athletic highs and exciting signs of his potential, Adem Bona’s 2025-26 season was a mixed bag.
The flaws are clear with Bona. Unfortunately, issues like his tendency for errors and spells of too many fouls, somewhat lacking defensive rebounding, and questionable touch around the rim can be glaring when he’s having an off night. And despite some games where he’s a asserting himself as a physical rebounder, there are others where he comes short with his boxing out and positioning in that
area. Considering his size, strength and explosiveness, averaging 9.0 total rebounds per 36 minutes (when he does a good job on the offensive glass with 3.7 offensive rebounds) is a touch underwhelming.
All of that led to him falling out of Nick Nurse’s rotation come the end of the playoffs. After averaging 17.4 minutes per game through the regular season and 19.3 minutes through the first three games of round one against Boston (before Joel Embiid returned), he averaged a mere 5.3 minutes through the rest of the playoffs and wasn’t a factor. Thankfully for the Sixers they had other options that could get them by (at least in the epic 3-1 comeback against the Celtics — we don’t need to relive what happened after that again). For instance, with Dominick Barlow stepping up the Sixers do have the option to downsize and embrace faster, more versatile lineups, and that takes a little pressure off Bona for next season. He’s clearly not in a position to be the Sixers’ sole option at backup five right now. But they need a reliable, genuine big to count on.
All these areas will be key to how Bona can progress in year three. His personal fouls started trending down slightly (from 6.8 per 100 possessions as a rookie to 6.0 this season), but he needs to take that a few steps further. He needs to be reliable controlling the ball, catching passes, finishing more of his opportunities in the paint that require some touch, and being a more consistent presence on the defensive glass.
All that said, Bona deserves credit for what he does do well, though. Because when he is a positive on the court, he really can excel in certain areas.
Shot-blocking rate is somewhere Bona thrives. He ranked ninth in the NBA this season in blocks per 100 possessions at 3.2. Even on a per game basis in only 17.4 minutes a night, he averaged 1.2 blocks — good enough for 18th in the league.
He has the leaping ability to elevate under the rim and deter shots in an instant, with the recovery speed and motor to get back for blocks when he’s beat. The explosiveness to fly around as a help defender, or the agility to switch onto a range of positions and stay with drivers from the perimeter all the way to the basket. When Bona is avoiding fouls and alert off the ball, he can truly energize the Sixers’ defense and be a major playmaker protecting the paint.
At the other end of the floor, Bona can do some of the simple things well. When it comes to finishing plays, Bona can explode as a lob catcher and dunk with force when he gets good opportunities. His length and vertical make it easy for him to rise above opponents at times, and his speed down the floor in transition is impressive. He also improved his free throw shooting a little this year, up from 67.0 percent as a rookie to a respectable 70.8 percent.
When things become a little more complicated, though — whether he has to make a catch in traffic and requires more touch and control to finish off the glass or through defenders — is where Bona can fall short. It’s why despite having what should be a very simple and efficient shot profile, he made a modest 66.9 percent of his shots within three feet of the basket this season. For reference, Kelly Oubre Jr., who clearly takes on far more difficult drives, shot 68.9 percent on such attempts. Any improvement there would be key for Bona being able to reliably contribute on offense and maintain increased minutes.
With Andre Drummond set to hit free agency, we could see the Sixers bring in a new veteran center to give Bona some new competition next season. The young big should still have some more opportunity to play and develop next year.
His shot-blocking, athleticism, and defensive versatility with his rare mobility are traits that can’t be taken for granted. If he can add any more polish to his offensive ability and reduce some of his defensive miscues, there’s still a clear path to him becoming a quality backup center.
But Nick Nurse’s patience is only going to get shorter in Bona’s third season. The Sixers can’t wait forever for Bona, and he still has a way to go. It’ll be interesting to see how he looks after another offseason and what he has to offer come October.
