What kind of Sixers offseason would it be without some conversation over the backup center battle? We’ve had all sorts of versions of this debate throughout Joel Embiid’s career — ranging from some with actual
promise to others with a bunch of dreary veteran options at best.
But this season, we have a genuinely exciting young candidate who’s primed for growing success: the dynamic 22-year-old, Adem Bona.
When asked about the backup center situation at Sixers media day, head coach Nick Nurse kept his response simple. He knows there are different options with Bona and Andre Drummond, plus new additions like Johni Broome and Jabari Walker (although the latter has primarily played as a forward until now during his time in Portland).
“I expect it to be a great competition for that spot,” Nurse said. “I just really want to see it all play out and watch them kind of fight it out in the next month or so.”
When Nurse was asked about the competition at the start of training camp, the first name he mentioned was Bona’s. He said it’s competitive between the names mentioned above, but maybe the fact that the first name in his head was Bona means something.
Nurse wants the Sixers to feel a bit younger, quicker, and more athletic this season. He wants players who can fly around the court.
“We need to run better,” Nurse said. “I know that sounds kind of basic, but we need to be able to run back so we can get our defense set, we need to be able to use that same speed and quickness to push forward better… The defense we play is kind of pressure based, certainly turnover based. Even with 40 different players last year we still end up third or fourth in the league in creating turnovers. That’s still what we want to do, but I think you’ll see a lot more flying around and that shouldn’t change.”
Those are simple things Nurse is looking for, but he’s right. And Bona ticks all those boxes.
While it sounds like we’ll be seeing more three-guard (and maybe even four-guard) lineups next season, a position-less approach on the perimeter still usually requires some size and physical presence at center. Bona has the speed and motor to run the floor in transition as a finisher or recovering defender, excellent lateral quickness to switch onto smaller opponents, and simply “fly around the floor.” All while maintaining rangy, bouncy shot-blocking talent and enough ability as a rebounder to give potentially smaller lineups the security defending the paint that they need.
I’ve already recently looked at what Bona has to offer and how he’s well positioned to claim the backup center spot over Drummond, so I won’t repeat everything here. But Bona could simply be better than Drummond already — what with his elite athletic ability, shot-blocking numbers, defensive versatility, relentless effort, and reduced foul rate and improved finishing, use of fakes, face-up play and general offensive play over the last few months of 2024-25. Plus he’s on an upward trajectory. Unlike Drummond, who may improve somewhat with better health next season, but is still coming off the worst rebounding year of his career, is limited as a finisher, and doesn’t have nearly the same athleticism or defensively versatility as Bona.
Bona’s continued his rise over the summer too, and the team is impressed.
Nurse praised just how much the sophomore big has changed, and the work he’s been putting in this offseason.
“He’s a much different player than he was day one a year ago. That’s for sure, right?” Nurse said at the start of training camp. “Obviously he got a lot of court time last year, right? Which enabled him to grow. He had an amazing summer. He’s gotten stronger. He’s like, breaking all the weight room records in there. Like, he’s really, really looking good. So, yeah, totally different guy. He was a wide-eyed rookie a year ago, and he was not that today, by any stretch. He played good.”
Nurse isn’t the only one who’s impressed with how Bona is continuing to progress either. His teammates are too, including Tyrese Maxey.
“I think Euro[Basket] really put his confidence on another level,” Maxey said as training camp got underway. “He’s just playing a lot more free. He’s catching the ball a lot better. He’s protecting the rim like he always does, but he’s more vocal, he’s more confident. You can see him smiling a little bit more. That’s when you know somebody’s comfortable, when they’re a little bit loose, they’re smiling, and they’re having a lot more fun.”
“That’s the best feeling. When you know what you’re doing, you know what you’re here for and you know what you’re capable of. I think I saw him hit a three today, too, so that was pretty cool.”
Bona’s already built a reputation as a hard worker, and from the beginning of February to the end of last season, he averaged 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.7 blocks in his 21.6 minutes per game with 70 percent free throw shooting. With more minutes came better production, and actual improvements to his game as well.
Of course, we’ll see what the other bigs on the roster bring to the table and how well they compete for minutes. Bona has already been developing, though, and brings impact the team needs at both ends of the floor. Now, what sounds like a well-used summer of training with some extra experience in EuroBasket playing for Turkey should set him up nicely to build on this momentum and take another step forward in 2025-26.
If Bona can carry this growing confidence into the start of the new season, it will only help bring out more from his game. He deserves to get plenty of minutes to continue building that confidence too. Providing he can keep reducing his foul rate to maximize his impact as a rim protector, utilize his explosiveness to suit the faster approach Nurse wants, and keep refining his gradually improving offensive game, Bona is set to become a fine backup center. One who could be a helpful role player for any team, and worthy of the Sixers’ main backup role.
