76ers' Backup Center Is Having Disastrous Start to Regular Season

One thing is painfully clear after the Philadelphia 76ers win against the Milwaukee Bucks. Adem Bina is not the answer as the backup center.

Bona was expected to be the one who could fill in whenever Joel Embiid heads to the bench. Well, after his night against the Bucks, the burden may be too much for him to handle. Bona had a string of bad luck in his ten minutes of action. The former Bruin botched a transition basket and followed that up by getting dunked on by Kyle Kuzma. Let’s not forget that he missed a three-point attempt to go along with his two early fouls. It led to him being sat down in favor of Jabari Walker, who brought some tenacity and newfound life to the center position, at least for this game. 

Bona is part of a bigger issue that will continue to be a problem, and that is the lack of talent at the center. It’s going to be a choice as to who gets that backup spot considering Ariel Hukporti was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. Through three games, it seems his production has decreased in each game. This is pretty confusing, as each team posed a different threat, and the one team that he should have the least trouble with caused him so many problems. 

Bona doesn't have a positive plus/minus rating in any of the games he’s played in so far this season.  His worst came against the Cleveland Cavaliers at -10 while he was a -4 against the Bucks. 

The 76ers need a big player to clear the boards and minimize that chance of extra opportunities; Bona hasn’t done that. It's just been chaotic when it comes to protecting the paint. He’s gotten a couple of blocks this season for sure, but he’s not scaring anyone from trying him down low. Kuzma proved that with one dunk, and it’s going to mean that Embiid is going to have to play extended minutes. This is something the 76ers absolutely want to avoid. 

Truthfully, the entire starting five isn’t getting the help they need from their bench. But the one position where it seems to be a problem night in and night out is the center position. The backup position is up for grabs, and if Walker can improve upon what he showed in the Bucks game, he may find himself behind Embiid on the depth chart. 

Bona had an impressive offseason showcasing what he was capable of, but it's not transpiring on the court. A win is a win, but this can’t proceed to an issue, or this season will be a waste.