Feb 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) reacts after dunking over Golden State Warriors center Quinten Post (21) during the second period at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images

Feb 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) reacts after dunking over Golden State Warriors center Quinten Post (21) during the second period at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images

Justine Willard

It’s a tough balancing act for Sixers backup center Adem Bona. Not the balance he’s had to learn between starting and coming off the bench in the 26 games the team has had to play without Joel Embiid this season, but the balance of how to play his aggressive brand of basketball while learning how to not hurt his team with over-aggressiveness.

To watch Bona is to watch someone who has an overflowing amount of energy. Almost always, that’s a good thing. At times, it isn’t. For Bona, many times it isn’t.

The 6’10” second-year player out of UCLA often finds himself in foul trouble, will get himself out of position defensively at times simply because he’s trying to do too much, and will allow teams to break out more easily after rebounds because he is lingering for an offensive rebound.

That is where Coach Nick Nurse and his staff are trying to balance teaching Bona when it’s the right time to be overly exuberant trying to block a shot or go for an offensive rebound, and when it isn’t.

“it doesn’t take much for me, I go out there and do the same thing every night,” said Bona at the team’s shootaround at Xfinity Mobile Arena before Thursday’s game against the Miami Heat. 

“I try to bring some energy. I’ve said that from the beginning of the year, to be as consistent and to be an anchor. It doesn’t matter who I’m playing with, I want to be able to contribute on defense and tell guys where to be. Regardless of who I’m sharing the floor with, I want to be able to command the defense and communicate with guys.”

That is where the team needs him most, at the defensive end, where he is one of the better rim protectors in the league. It is where his athleticism allows him to get out on big-man shooters, switch on pick-and-rolls with guards, and often come from the other side of the court to block shots in jaw-dropping fashion.

His speed lends to him often being the recipient of long lead-out passes, or of alley-oops that lead to crowd-pleasing dunks. Along with offensive rebounding put-backs, that is where his offensive game is right now.

“Run the floor, space the floor for other guys,” Bona said of his job description. “Today’s conversation was more about making the sacrifice. Going to block a shot and sacrificing my man to go and help someone else. Being selfless and making sacrifices for the team. I feel like it’s a learning process. It’s a different style of play than I played before coming to the NBA. It’s adjusting to the style of play and also the way they call the games. I won’t let it take away my aggressiveness.”

And come playoff time, where his minutes will be much less if Embiid is healthy, his aggressiveness can be amped up, as he will probably only be needed for about 12 minutes a game. And the playoffs are the time of year that has Bona particularly excited, as the grind of the regular season begins to wind down.

“To the end of the season, every game is important,” Bona said. 

“We want to go out there and win as much as possible. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing or what’s at stake. My mindset is going in there, ramping up for the playoffs. Go out there and get myself ready. This is going to be my first playoff. A lot of people talk about playoffs and how playoff is big and how intense the games are going to be, how close the games are going to be called. So I must try to use these games to get myself ready. It’s really exciting for me. I’m just trying to do the right stuff now that’s going to translate to the playoff games.”

Bona knows that his athletic abilities and how to use them changes night after night. One night, he may have to play a big in the paint and use his strength and jumping ability. Other nights, he may have to use his speed to get on perimeter shooters or leak out for easy baskets.

For now, it’s all a learning experience for the soon-to-be 23-year-old. But whatever he picks up about the way to play his game in the NBA, there are a couple of things he will never stop doing.

“I want to stay aggressive and I want to contest every shot.”