Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Adem Bona (30) reacts against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered their 10th loss in a row, this time to Eastern rival Milwaukee.
The Sixers were able to keep things close until the fourth quarter, but the Bucks eventually went on a run, largely fueled by a gargantuan effort from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with 34 points, 19 assists and 16 rebounds.
One silver lining — aside from the continued slide towards better NBA Draft odds — was the performance from rookie big Adem Bona. Across his 33 minutes, Bona scored 28 points on a wildly efficient 13-for-15 shooting, adding six rebounds, two steals and three blocks.
Drafted with the No. 41 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bona was always thought of to have an intriguing two-way skillset, and that was on display Thursday. Especially against a talented defensive front court in Antetokounmpo and center Brook Lopez.
Per an early scouting report on Bona: “[He] plays with a ton of energy and effort, which results in him making a ton of positive plays simply by outworking his opponent. He’s a traditional big which does limit his upside some in the modern NBA, but he does have the versatility to play either power forward or center.
On the season, Bona has averaged just 4.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, but has shown a projectable game as a versatile big in the back half of the season.
That was especially apparent on Thursday, as Bona was an energetic driving force behind Philadelphia’s offense. The 76ers haven’t found a win in weeks, but the improvement of its young players, coupled with the fact it could be headed toward a top-five draft pick, is cause for hope.
As it stands now, Philadelphia 64% chance at retaining their first round pick in the top-six, and just over a 40% chance at landing a selection in the top-four.
Published 3 Minutes Ago|Modified 9:29 PM EDT
