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PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia 76ers rookie Adem Bona was a nice surprise in what was a dreadful 2024-25 season for the Sixers. Expected to contend for a championship, the Sixers instead went 24-58 and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Bona, a second-round pick out of UCLA, averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 58 games with 11 starts in his maiden NBA season. He played much more than he would have expected at the beginning of the season and was able to take big steps forward throughout the season.
Andre Drummond, who was limited to 40 games due to a toe issue, took Bona under his wing from the start of training camp and gave his thoughts on what made him so successful.
"His confidence is where he’s grown the most," Drummond said of Bona. "He's like a sponge. Anything that the coaches tell him, or I tell him, or any of the other vets tell him, he soaks it in, and he tries to apply into the game. Whether we're practicing or the game, he does a very good job of applying it, and with that tool, I think he's going to be very successful in this league. His motor is higher than anybody I've seen in my time, and his want to be good is really going to take him far."
One has to believe that Bona will have a strong chance to win the backup center role in the 2025-26 season. He will likely be in competition with Drummond who has a $5 million player option for next season and is likely to opt in to that deal.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Andre Drummond explains what makes Sixers rookie Adem Bona successful
Continue reading...
Bona, a second-round pick out of UCLA, averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 58 games with 11 starts in his maiden NBA season. He played much more than he would have expected at the beginning of the season and was able to take big steps forward throughout the season.
Andre Drummond, who was limited to 40 games due to a toe issue, took Bona under his wing from the start of training camp and gave his thoughts on what made him so successful.
"His confidence is where he’s grown the most," Drummond said of Bona. "He's like a sponge. Anything that the coaches tell him, or I tell him, or any of the other vets tell him, he soaks it in, and he tries to apply into the game. Whether we're practicing or the game, he does a very good job of applying it, and with that tool, I think he's going to be very successful in this league. His motor is higher than anybody I've seen in my time, and his want to be good is really going to take him far."
One has to believe that Bona will have a strong chance to win the backup center role in the 2025-26 season. He will likely be in competition with Drummond who has a $5 million player option for next season and is likely to opt in to that deal.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Andre Drummond explains what makes Sixers rookie Adem Bona successful
Continue reading...
