Adem Bona provided a spark, but Sixers’ small-ball experiment struggled without Joel Embiid
With Embiid managing his health on the second night of a back-to-back, the Sixers were down to three viable center options including LeBron James.
Nick Nurse did not sugarcoat the center conundrum facing the 76ers in Sunday night’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons.
Joel Embiid sat out to manage plantar fasciitis on the second night of a back-to-back. Dominick Barlow is still sidelined with a back issue, and Jabari Walker was a new addition to the injury report with knee soreness. Even 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall, a two-way signee, is still nursing a quadriceps injury.
“We’ve only got about three guys left that can possibly play the five,” Nurse said before the game. “ … This is what we’ve got. We’ve got to roll with those three guys.”
The Sixers started Dean Wade and LeBron James in the frontcourt, a small-ball lineup that fell into a 21-point first-quarter deficit they ultimately could not overcome in a 106-93 defeat at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Adem Bona, meanwhile, provided an energetic rebounding boost after a rough start to his third NBA season. But the night — which came with a 54-37 rebounding deficit — still left early-season questions about how to manage that spot moving forward.
That position — backup center, and spot-starter when Embiid rests — could already be viewed as this loaded roster’s weakest entering the season.
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Then Ariel Hukporti, a legitimate 7-footer, tore his Achilles in the first preseason game. Though Bona was a roster returner, Nurse spoke publicly about bracing for a committee approach with mostly smaller-framed options. The 6-foot-7 Walker had been a preseason standout — and seemed to overtake Bona for the backup job in Saturday’s win over the Bucks before leaving the game with the knee injury.
Sunday night, the Sixers (3-1) took on a Pistons team playing without All-NBA center and former Roman Catholic star Jalen Duren, which bumped former Sixer Paul Reed into the starting lineup. Coach JB Bickerstaff quipped before the game that “something’s going to happen” whenever Reed gets on the floor.
That included Reed pulling down two offensive rebounds on the same early offensive possession, and finishing a putback. It was part of the Pistons’ swift 7-2 rebounding edge to build a 12-1 lead that eventually reached 18 points in the opening frame.
Nurse and All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey also pointed to clunky offensive flow with this particular starting group — VJ Edgecombe also missed the game, inserting Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — that, per Maxey, had not yet worked together in practice. After the game, Maxey suggested playing “four out, one in” when Embiid misses games to create driving lanes for scorers such as Jaylen Brown, who went 5-of-20 from the floor Sunday.
The first Sixer to corral a defensive rebound at the first quarter’s 6:55 mark? Bona. That foreshadowed the 13 he grabbed in the game, an output Nurse and James praised and that Bona acknowledged was a “good comeback” from his disappointing first three appearances.
Bona added six points on 3-of-5 shooting and three blocked shots, including one that led to a Brown first-half layup. He played nearly 12 consecutive minutes that overlapped the first two quarters, helping him regain some game conditioning after missing the preseason with a foot injury.
Offensively, Bona threw down an alley-oop dunk. He and the Pistons’ John Collins got in each other’s faces after and received double technicals after another Bona slam (“It’s just basketball. Probably got upset from the dunk, so it’s normal,” Bona said with a smirk). And in the final period, he grabbed an offensive rebound that eventually led to a Maxey turnaround jumper that cut the Pistons’ lead to 79-75.
“He was amazing tonight,” James said of Bona. “His energy, his effort. … He came in and gave us that spark on that rebounding.”
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Whenever James shifted to center, he highlighted that he becomes more of an offensive hub by setting screens to get guards open. It also changes his defensive point of view, becoming the “second line” rather than somebody who sees the fuller offensive picture while guarding the wing. James shrugged off a question about the viability of him playing regular center minutes throughout the season, glancing across the room at Embiid’s locker.
“Well, [shoot], we got an MVP over there,” James said. “ … I don’t see it being a sustainable role, but it’s a role that we know that we can tap into if we need it. I know I can play one through five, offensively and defensively, if needed.”
The Sixers could welcome back additional frontcourt options soon. Walker’s absence Sunday felt more precautionary than concerning. Fall has been doing on-court work and is “probably not too far away” from being available for game action, Nurse said Sunday. And Barlow, who has a knack for complementary skills such as crashing the offensive glass and cutting, was a starter for much of last season. Down the line, there could also be upgrade potential at this position via trade.
But while undersized at center, James channeled former teammate and current Piston Taurean Prince for a simple breakdown of how to rebound better.
“The ball is in the air, and you grab the ball,” James said, mimicking that motion with a bit of flair. “And that’s a rebound.”
Maxey was equally succinct.
“Some of our tall guys [need] to come back,” Maxey said. “That would be great.”
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
