The Philadelphia 76ers frontcourt is noticeably thin heading into their game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 30 at 6:00 PM EST. Philadelphia ruled out Joel Embiid (knee), while Andre Drummond (knee) is questionable. Its shorthandedness could push younger players like Adem Bona, Jabari Walker and Johni Broome into bigger roles and they should take advantage.
Inside the injuries
Philadelphia has been without a regular center rotation for 21 days, as Embiid will miss his 10th straight game. He did not play in the 76ers’ 111–108 loss to the Detroit Pistons on November 9 due to a left knee injury; a procedure Philadelphia followed to keep him fresh all season. Only he didn’t come back after that.
Embiid suffered right knee soreness sometime afterward, sidelining him for the 76ers’ final eight games despite the team listing him as day-to-day. However, his injury turned into managing right knee injuries in Philadelphia’s final seven games.
Nick Nurse said after practice today that Embiid will need to work through some soreness in his right knee and on-court activity before the medical staff can clear him to return, Adam Aaronson of The Philly Voice reported. However, the 76ers have not fully evolved in Embiid’s absence, winning five of their last nine games.
Drummond’s recent play has been crucial to Philadelphia staying afloat as he has posted 9.8 points and 12.1 rebounds in his last five appearances. But Drummond suffered a right knee contusion in the second quarter of the 76ers’ 115-103 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. Now he is at risk of missing his first game of the year.
Who could take a step?
If the 76ers are without Embiid and Drummond against Atlanta, Bona will likely appear in the starting lineup. The sophomore had 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks in Philadelphia’s win over Brooklyn after missing five games with a sprained right ankle. It is undesirable that Bona may play such a larger role after a long absence.
Nevertheless, the 22-year-old will provide athleticism at both ends of the pitch. But he needs to avoid major upsets — his biggest problem of his career so far — because otherwise the 76ers will have limited options.
Walker committed five personal fouls, while Broome committed three in seven minutes during Philadelphia’s win against the Nets. While this is a one-game sample size, the 76ers will face a formidable frontcourt with Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, which may not bode well for Walker and Broome.
Walkers’ rebounding and spot-up shooting has given him some success at power forward this season. His skills are more focused on playing the four than center, but injuries could force Nurse to play Walker in the five. Meanwhile, Broome has found success with the Delaware Blue Coats, which has yet to translate to the NBA level.
#76ers #face #unforeseen #trials #due #major #injuries #frontcourt