In the most anticipated season in years, the Sixers are 11th in the Eastern Conference at the halfway point. They started the season with a record of 3-14, gained some ground in December, but now find themselves at 15-27 after their recent free fall.
Their record is a product of injuries, which have caused the team to play inconsistently. Joel Embiid has missed significant time, rookie standout Jared McCain is out for the season, and Paul George and many others have missed a lot of time as well.
Many times this season, the team has only had four or five players available to play, forcing Nick Nurse to dig deep into his bench. As the team tries to navigate its injury-riddled season, some of the young talents are showcasing their potential and resilience. It seems like the spotlight has shifted to Justin Edwards, Adem Bona, and Ricky Council IV.
A local bright spot
Two-way player and hometown standout Justin Edwards has been a revelation for this team, stepping up in recent weeks. Edwards was a star at Imhotep Charter High School in Philly before going to Kentucky last season, expecting to be a one-and-done player. He was a projected top-10 pick before his freshman season at Kentucky but struggled all season long. He fell off of many draft boards and went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Sixers signed him to a two-way contract after the draft, hoping they can hone on his potential as a two-player.
Edwards started in the G-League with the Delaware Blue Coats, where he averaged just over 18 points per game and shot just over 37% from three-point land. He got his opportunity as the injuries piled up on the wing. Since playing more consistently for the Sixers, he’s averaged 6.8 points per game, including a 25-point game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The coaches have also asked him to guard some of the opposing team’s best players. His confidence is growing, and he shows that he has the potential to become a solid NBA player.
Following the team’s practice on Thursday, Jan. 23, Nick Nurse spoke about Edwards’ play this season.
“I think Justin’s got a real chance. He’s played very well, I think very solid plays both ends. [He] rebounds for his position, seems, again, to gravitate to open areas effortlessly, just moves, he’s got the ball, he’s got shots, he’s got play on the catches, he’s got a little bit of an in-between and finish game to him. Tries to guard. Still young that [he] makes enough mistakes and gets put in some situations where he’s guarding somebody really, really good, but it’s really good for him. I see a positive future for him.”
Energy and athleticism
Adem Bona, a second-round pick in this year’s draft, has also started to make some contributions. Known for his energy and athleticism, Bona has provided a much-needed spark off the bench with the injuries to Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond. He has been called upon as the backup center and has been the preferred choice instead of two-way big Pete Nance.
In a recent game against the Indiana Pacers, he scored 12 points on perfect shooting from the field and grabbed six rebounds. He had a few highlight dunks in a losing effort, but his motor is something that all is teammates could feed off of.
In the same breath that Sixers’ head coach Nick Nurse mentioned Justin Edwards, he discussed what he’s seen from Adem Bona as well.
“I think Bona probably shows more spurts but obviously does some really good things. [He’ll] block a shot and protect the rim. He’ll offensive rebound, which I think he’s picked up, get the lob dunk here and there. Get a little bit better. He got blitzed the other night and kicked one out for a three-ball, so he’s growing in some of those areas.”
“My biggest concern with him is just a little bit too like this,” Nurse said, motioning up and down. “And a lot of that’s just based on energy. [A] lot of it’s based on opponent, how fast the game is, being young. Our coaching point for him right now would be [for him] to get ready to play really hard and really physical night after night after night after night. It’s a skill, and it’s one that we think you can teach and one that can be learned. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Nurse would continue to say that nobody does it every night in the league, but that they want to increase ratio.
Finding his place
Ricky Council IV has had an interesting season thus far, in and out of the lineup, even with some of the starters out due to injury. Early in the season, when given the opportunity to play, Council struggled to make good things happen on the court, which had him buried in the rotation.
With recent injuries and Paul George in and out the lineup, he’s been forced into action. He’s scored in double digits in four out of the last seven games, scoring his season high 18 points in a loss against the Indiana Pacers. Council IV has shown flashes of his speed, shooting ability, and an uncanny ability to drawl fouls but he can also become a little out of control.
He’s been getting an extended look and can try to carve out a spot for the future. He signed a four-year deal before the playoffs began last season and could complement the older vets if he can put it all together. If he doesn’t, he may find himself on another team with his contract non-guaranteed each of the next three years.
The Sixers may not have wanted to be in this position, but they have a chance to see what they really have in their young guys. They are contributing much sooner than expected, but with this experience, they can become key pieces to this team in the future or even down the stretch of this season.
