Adem Bona is the Sixers’ biggest rotation problem after another rough game

Adem Bona played 14 minutes against the Bulls on Monday and committed five fouls. The Sixers have a backup center problem, and it showed up again in a game they won by 19.

The Sixers had a 10-point lead after the first quarter. It was gone once Nick Nurse started substituting. In Bona’s first stint, the Bulls outscored Philadelphia by eight and cut the deficit to 40-38. Buddy Hield put Chicago in front with a three.

Adem Bona missed a dunk early in the second quarter. By the fourth, he had four fouls, and Nurse started the final period with Dean Wade at center. Bona came back briefly, picked up his fifth foul and took a seat.

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Adem Bona has one good game this season

Adem Bona ladies and gentlemen pic.twitter.com/ANBBeJVBGu

— ︎Nova (@NovaTwts) November 3, 2026

Bona has sucked so far this year — you don’t need to be a basketball savant to recognize that . He had six points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in a win over Milwaukee. Outside of that game, there is not much to point to.

The Sixers need more than that. Defensive rebounding was a concern coming into the season, and Nurse said this month that the Sixers’ defensive rebounding is not good enough. Adem Bona is a 23-year-old center, and size and rebounding are what the backup spot is for when Joel Embiid sits.

Why the Adem Bona minutes matter more with Embiid’s foot

Embiid is managing right foot plantar fascia pain. He sat out Saturday on the second night of a back-to-back, was listed as questionable Monday, and played 25 minutes. Nurse called the injury a come-and-go problem that is painful and hard to predict.

That means the minutes without Embiid are going to be frequent. Through four games, the Sixers’ net rating was 41.7 points better with Embiid on the floor than off it. That number is a tiny sample, but it points to the same issue Monday showed.

The alternatives are thin. Ariel Hukporti tore his right Achilles tendon in the preseason opener. Dominick Barlow is out with a back injury and was set to see a specialist Tuesday. LeBron James can play center, but he has said he does not expect to do it as a sustainable role. NBC Sports Philadelphia reported the Sixers are hard capped at the first apron and likely cannot add a player until December.

Jabari Walker is the one real option left. He returned Saturday after a three-game absence and played well in Charlotte. On Monday, he did not get in until garbage time.

The fix is already on the roster

Nurse should give Walker the next look. Wade at center is a short-term answer. The Adem Bona question is whether the Sixers can afford to wait for him to figure it out while Embiid’s foot keeps the backup spot in play every few games.

The Sixers are 7-1 and Adem Bona is not the reason. He could become the reason they lose one.