The Sixers are 15-27 — at 12 games below .500, they have never been farther away from where they want to be ‚ and things are not getting easier. They will play host to the dominant Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, and once again will be without several key pieces.
The volume of unavailable rotation fixtures means more opportunities are coming for less established pieces. In this week's edition of Friday film, let's talk about some of the team's younger players:
Adem Bona beginning to find his footing
Due to extended absences of Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond — plus Guerschon Yabusele missing a pair of games over the weekend — the 21-year-old rookie center has gotten plenty of chances to play and, in turn, opportunities to learn. There is no doubt that Bona has the makings of an excellent backup five with his terrific size, jaw-dropping athleticism and a relentless motor.
Bona has been part of Sixers head coach Nick Nurse's regular rotation for nine consecutive games, averaging 16.1 minutes during that span. But as Bona's minutes have become consistent, his aggression as an offensive player has increased dramatically. In his first two games as a rotation center this month, Bona scored just six total points on three shot attempts. In the next two games, he went scoreless without logging a single field goal attempt despite nearing 29 combined minutes.
In five games since, Bona has scored 34 points while making 14 of his 16 shot attempts. It is far from a gargantuan scoring total, but it represents very real progress from a place in which Bona was a non-threat to score.
While Bona does not have much skill as a shooter or ball-handler, he is figuring out how to use his size and outlier athletic traits to create opportunities as a downhill scorer. Absolutely nobody wants to stand in the way when he is charging toward the rim with a head of steam, and Bona knows this. A recent trend: faking dribble handoff actions as a device to open a driving lane:
Adem Bona has flashed some skills going downhill when faking DHOs. A few plays from the Sixers' road back-to-back last weekend which stand out: pic.twitter.com/kgMopEE8fs
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 23, 2025
After the Sixers' practice on Thursday morning, Bona credited Tyrese Maxey's gravity and general basketball instincts for those plays opening up.
"I'm just taking advantage of what the other team gives me," Bona said. "Tyrese is a great player, and if you notice, most of the fake handoffs are with Tyrese because he draws a lot of attention. That gives me opportunities to drive and takes attention away from me, which gives me a wide open lane."
Ricky Council IV losing his footing
Council's second NBA season continues to be a disaster. He has made just below 40 percent of his shot attempts and considerably below 30 percent of his long-range tries. He has not turned into an impact player on defense or the glass. He has lost ground in the pecking order in the short- and long-term to a rookie undrafted two-way wing. Council is searching for answers and not finding them.
His struggles culminated in once again being removed from Nurse's rotation on Tuesday night, despite the team being plagued by so many injuries. With the Sixers desperate for any sort of spark, Council was brought into the game in the third quarter. He did nothing of note as the Sixers were steamrolled. Perhaps what was more concerning, though, was Council's showing in the fourth quarter.
Instead of trying to exhibit the manners in which he can impact winning, Council played with complete tunnel vision. He took eight shots in the fourth quarter, and after making a wide open spot-up three, he watched seven straight shots wind up off the mark. Many of the shots were ill-advised.
Ricky Council IV attempted eight shots in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night. He made the first shot, an assisted corner three, and missed the next seven: pic.twitter.com/eOPLMeMung
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 23, 2025
Council's journey with the Sixers is far from over. His potential remains enticing. But at some point, he will need to become more reliable as a decision-maker on both ends of the floor in order to become a rotation regular for the Sixers or any other NBA team.
Justin Edwards and the value of quickness
In some ways, Council's erratic style has reflected well upon the aforementioned rookie who has supplanted him in the depth chart. At every chance he gets, Nurse talks about how impressed he is with Edwards' innate ability to be in the right places and react in a way which displays excellent feel for the game. Whether that means relocating into open space, making a timely cut, crashing the glass at the right time or remaining disciplined defensively, Edwards has done a lot to earn the trust of Nurse and his staff in just a few weeks of consistent playing time.
Edwards is not a sniper from long-range — his three-point accuracy has been roughly average in the NBA so far — but what might matter more than his accuracy from beyond the arc is how comfortable Edwards is firing away. In that department, the hometown kid has passed every test with flying colors. Aside from his sturdy wing defense, the quickness of Edwards' shooting form has probably been the most impressive aspect of his rookie season so far:
Sixers two-way wing Justin Edwards is shooting 34.1 percent from three-point range as an NBA rookie, but the quickness of his release stands out: pic.twitter.com/7okY7Ve8CM
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) January 24, 2025
- MORE SIXERS
- Sixers trade machine ideas: Getting involved in a Jimmy Butler blockbuster
- Gauging potential trade markets of Sixers veterans
- Sixers talk memories as Philadelphia opponents: 'Got to be thankful when you're in a special atmosphere'
If Edwards continues to ascend and establishes himself as someone even on the borderline of being a rotation-caliber wing in the NBA, the Sixers will experience tremendous salary cap benefits. He still has a long way to go to get there, but it is not difficult at all to craft a case that his development should be a more significant priority than that of Council moving forward.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice
