Emerging Sixers Vet Goes Down — Injury Update Surfaces

How Concerning is Bona’s Setback?

According to BasketNews, Bona is “expected to be fine.”

After his seven-minute shift, Bona’s night ended for Turkey. His status moving forward is unclear, but it seems there is a chance Bona will be able to get back out on the court for Turkey.

Last year, the Sixers picked up Bona with their own second-round draft selection. After picking up Jared McCain out of Duke in the first round, Bona was selected 41st overall by the Sixers on night two of the 2024 NBA Draft.

Bona’s journey to the NBA started with a run overseas. In 2020, Bona moved to California to play high school ball. He ended up becoming a five-star recruit, committing to UCLA.

In two seasons at UCLA, Bona appeared in 66 games. He averaged 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, and two blocks per game in an average of 25 minutes of action.

During his rookie season in the NBA, Bona was expected to be a third-string center behind Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond. As injuries piled up for the Sixers, Bona received an opportunity to appear in 58 games. He even collected 11 starts, seeing the court for 16 minutes per game.

As a rookie, Bona averaged six points per game, shooting 70 percent from the field. He also produced four rebounds and one block per game.

The Sixers haven’t changed the roster much, but Bona could get a chance to compete for the role of Embiid’s primary backup. The 22-year-old has high expectations on a Sixers team that has been working on forming a youth movement. Hopefully, there won’t be any setbacks before training camp.