Adem Bona

_GH0ST_ · Post #1 » by **_GH0ST_** » Sun Feb 27, 2022 1:21 pm

Adem was born in Lagos. He came to Turkey as a child and received his infrastructure education in Turkey. He played for Karşıyaka and Turkish U16 & U18 teams. He came to the USA last year and joined the high school team Profilic Prep. After his successful game in high school, he received offers from universities such as Duke and Kentucky, but preferred UCLA.

Center, 6’10 with 7’6 Wingspan. He has an amazing motor. Has incredible athleticism. Good defender and can defend 1-5 because he is very fast. Also a very good shot blocker. He is able to dominate the paint and be a beast on the boards. Its potential is exciting. I liken Adem to a mix of Jonathan Isaac and Serge Ibaka.

He will join the 2023 draft. According to his game at the university, it will be determined from which rank he will be drafted. If he plays well there, he can be drafted from the top 5 or top 7.

Watch on YouTube

Look at his speed

Read on Twitter

Kalela · Post #2 » by **Kalela** » Mon Feb 28, 2022 3:49 pm

He looks like an interesting player. Good engine and that wingspan.

Post #3 » by **Nuntius** » Tue Mar 1, 2022 2:34 pm

I remember him from the u-19 World Cup. He definitely has talent. He's a 2023 prospect, though, isn't he?

Justwar · Post #4 » by **Justwar** » Mon Mar 14, 2022 11:26 pm

Right now a big project. In the nfaly dante, frank kepnang level

peZt · Post #5 » by **peZt** » Wed Jul 20, 2022 10:18 am

HIs athleticism and quickness for a big is just insane. I've also never seen a guy play with such an energy. He plays every single possession as if his life would depend on it. To think that just 3 years ago this guy could just run and jump and barely had any clue how to play Basketball. Now he's doing sping moves and ****

Read on Twitter

Chuck Everett · Post #6 » by **Chuck Everett** » Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:13 am

Will Mick Cronin play this "animal" though? Sometimes Mick gets cute, but this guy should be lob city during the season.

Hal14 · Post #7 » by **Hal14** » Thu Jul 21, 2022 3:41 pm

Chuck Everett wrote:Will Mick Cronin play this "animal" though? Sometimes Mick gets cute, but this guy should be lob city during the season.

He better. Bona and Amari Bailey is some legit talent. They both should start. Plus Jacquez..

Kalela · Post #8 » by **Kalela** » Fri Jul 22, 2022 3:51 am

He has that Giannis-like spin. Impressive.

peZt · Post #9 » by **peZt** » Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:11 pm

I think he is the fastest Center I have ever seen

Read on Twitter

Watch on YouTube

CP War Hawks · Post #10 » by **CP War Hawks** » Sun Feb 26, 2023 6:50 pm

He strikes me as an unskilled Ibaka.

babyjax13 · Post #11 » by **babyjax13** » Sun Feb 26, 2023 7:16 pm

I wonder what his draftable ceiling is. Perhaps with his mobility it is higher than his stats might suggest? My guess is he is a bubble late first right now (I think I have him most likely in the early second), but maybe a team loves what he can do and gets him higher?

peZt · Post #12 » by **peZt** » Sun Feb 26, 2023 7:38 pm

CP War Hawks wrote:He strikes me as an unskilled Ibaka.

Though of course no where near what you would call a skilled big, he is not as unskilled as he seems or has shown at UCLA.
He has some spin moves, a basic post game, can take the ball from coast to coast and is even a decent passer at times.
And compared to other unskilled bigs who had never shown any progress on the offensive end, Bona went from someone who could only do putback dunks and alley oops 4 years ago, to someone who can do spinmoves, up and unders in the post, handle the ball etc. He was constantly progressing on that end. Now he is just utilized as an energy big at UCLA.
But he desperately needs a Ibaka level Jump Shot

The one big downside about him is that he doesn't have big hands and fumbles the ball a lot. Which is really bad for a energy big

Watch on YouTube

EvanZ · Post #13 » by **EvanZ** » Mon Feb 27, 2023 5:43 pm

Fundamentally sound defender. Really does nothing on offense that is interesting.

peZt · Post #14 » by **peZt** » Tue Nov 7, 2023 7:18 pm

Had 28, 9 and 4 in the season opener. I don't think theres any 6'10 guy who's quicker and laterally quicker and has such a quick jump as Bona. This dude is pure fast twitch muscle

Watch on YouTube

Showed more of an offensive game than last year.

For Turkey in the youth competitions he was doing spin moves, playmaking from the high post etc. He is not terrible offensively, maybe he'll be used more in that regard this season

crows2 · Post #15 » by **crows2** » Wed Nov 8, 2023 11:01 am

peZt wrote:Had 28, 9 and 4 in the season opener. I don't think theres any 6'10 guy who's quicker and laterally quicker and has such a quick jump as Bona. This dude is pure fast twitch muscle

Watch on YouTube

Showed more of an offensive game than last year.

For Turkey in the youth competitions he was doing spin moves, playmaking from the high post etc. He is not terrible offensively, maybe he'll be used more in that regard this season

How was the move at 1:56 not called a travel? :lol:

shangrila · Post #16 » by **shangrila** » Wed Nov 8, 2023 9:14 pm

I want to like him as he fits that Bam/Duren style archetype that's always interesting.

But everytime I watch him he just seems awkward. Like there's a pause to gather himself before exploding, or he's got to shuffle his feet to get into the right stance for a screen. An overall lack of fluidity that he can get away with on this level but probably won't at the NBA level.

Late first seems about right at this point.

peZt · Post #17 » by **peZt** » Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:15 pm

Another double double performance with 3 blocks. Also finally showing a little more of his offensive arsenal

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

shangrila · Post #18 » by **shangrila** » Fri Nov 17, 2023 7:53 pm

peZt wrote:Another double double performance with 3 blocks. Also finally showing a little more of his offensive arsenal

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

Can anyone explain the screens in the second video? Where he throws his hands up like "I'm just standing here"?

Was he in foul trouble?

FarBeyondDriven · Post #19 » by **FarBeyondDriven** » Sat Nov 18, 2023 11:22 am

I don't think anyone chose a worse school to go to then Bona. Catching a few games here on the West coast and his coach pulls him and sits him as soon as he gets a foul as if to send him a message. Last year his backup played way too much and ate into his minutes. He should have been able to come out but he wasn't able to showcase himself much. The injury at the end of the season didn't help of course. As someone else mentioned, he's in that Duren, Okongwo tier. It's shaping up to be a pretty strong center class with Sarr, Mara, Bradshaw, Filipowski, Klintman, Clingan, Ware, Bona, Edey, Dickinson and Ivisic. All of them should be able to make NBA rosters and contribute. I can't remember a draft with this much center talent.

GreatWhiteStiff · Post #20 » by **GreatWhiteStiff** » Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:59 am

EvanZ wrote:Fundamentally sound defender. Really does nothing on offense that is interesting.

I kind of like this kid, I wonder if you hold that energy throughout the entire ncaa season.