Adem Bona film room breakdown

Adem Bona received an offer from Kentucky earlier this week and he’s been trending as an eventual Wildcat commit ever since. There is no timeline for when he might make a final decision or which programs are sticking out more than others, but Bona told KSR in July that he’s been in contact with the Kentucky coaching staff “for a while.”

Since that offer from head coach John Calipari dropped into his hands on Tuesday, four Crystal Ball picks and one FutureCast selection have been logged in favor of Bona landing in Lexington. That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal by any means, but with an offer now out there, Kentucky is going to continue to be a major player.

Bona would be an excellent addition to the 2022-23 roster, too. He’s a 6-foot-10, lean and athletic center with a wingspan that reaches out well past seven feet. He’s only been playing basketball in the United States for one full season now, meaning his upcoming senior year at Prolific Prep (CA) will be just his second of organized basketball in America.

With that in mind, he’s still a raw prospect. Bona has a long way to go before making a major impact at the professional level, but that’s not what we’re going to focus on.

If he were to pick Kentucky, a one-and-done season should be expected. Bona is a five-star prospect and top 20 player in the class of 2022 for a reason.

What we are going to focus on is what he can bring to the table right now. His high ranking is more indicative of his potential rather than his current skill set, but he does so many things on the floor that don’t show up on the stat sheet. Bona hustles, he outworks everyone else, he sprints up and down on every possession, he’s a guy that every championship-level team needs to reach its goals.

Defensive versatility

Adem Bona’s most desirable attribute right now is that he can guard four, and sometimes all five, positions. His rim protection is what stands out first–Bona is a borderline elite shot-blocker when it comes to smacking the ball at its apex.

His length and bounce are unmatched by most of his peers, made even more lethal due to his 6-foot-10 frame. It doesn’t matter how high the shooter attempts to rainbow their attempts over him, Bona will either swat it away or alter the shot before it’s released. But not only that, he’s quick enough on his feet to recover and block shots that he previously wasn’t even in the vicinity for. Bona seemingly embraces having to defend in 1-on-2 situations, as well, where he’s defending two people rolling toward the rim at the same time.

Kentucky and Coach Calipari are known for attracting and developing premier shot blockers (Anthony Davis, Nerlens Noel, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Isaiah Jackson, to name a few) and Bona can fit that bill, too.

Getting his timing down will be the next step in his shot-blocking portfolio. He can sometimes get over-eager as he spies a potential block, which will often result in silly fouls where he’s caught in the air with nowhere else to land but on top of someone. That discipline will come with more repetition.

It’s not just blocking shots, though. At any given time, Bona can guard all five positions. His recovery time is impeccable and he has great instincts when it comes to defending out of the pick-and-roll. His length and quickness allow him to cover all sorts of ground. Even if he gets beat, he can slide back into place with ease.

Watch below as he defends four different players on one possession before poking the ball away for a fasbtreak.

Expanding his offensive repertoire

This is where his rawness comes into play. Adem Bona has capable skills on offense, but needs to improve his consistency and touch around the basket. If he’s not trying to dunk the ball six inches into the hardwood, he can be a bit limited on that end.

But there are indications that he can expand his offensive arsenal.

For starters, Bona’s shooting form is solid. He’s a good foul shooter and will take (and make) open three-pointers if presented the opportunity. But he won’t hunt for mid-range jumpers and he’s not someone you want bringing the ball up the floor.

If he’s looking to score on his own, it’s coming in the form of a backdown around the paint where he can bully his way to the bucket. When he gets to that spot, hesitation can hinder him at times.

He does, however, actively look for cutters when he’s in the post. Bona knows that defenses focus on him when he’s that close to the rim and he takes advantage of that by finding his teammates in open space. In these situations, he likes to keep it simple and not force a bad pass. Bona already knows how to play patiently within the flow of a structured offense.

It’s when he gets to the rim, though, that question marks arise. Bona’s ability to catch and handle the ball on the block comes and goes. He can fumble easy looks at the rim and wind up with a bad shot. There’s no denying his power once he does get the ball above the cylinder, it’s just a matter of how many times out of 100 can he do it successfully without losing grip? Again, this is another thing that can be developed quickly over time.

Bona prefers to start his offense receiving the ball on the block. From there, he has a limited number of post moves that he can go to, which he finishes with moderate success. Don’t let him get a clean look at the rim though. Bona appears to make it a point that he has his elbows touch his knees on every power dunk. He wants to tear the rim off the backboard.

Workhorse mentality

This is where Adem Bona makes a name for himself and earns his five-star status. He’ll dive for loose balls, he’ll run the floor every single time, he’ll do everything he can to make a play.

At the college level, Bona can make a significant impact with those traits alone. 95 percent of the time, no one will be able to outwork him. He lives to set screens and roll to the basket for easy alley-oop slams. Bona probably executes 25-plus pick-and-rolls every single game–he’s built like a brick wall when a defender tries to truck through him.

As far as rebounding, his desire to get to the ball first gives him an edge. He doesn’t have top-tier instincts on the glass, but is long enough to snag the ball anyways. It also helps that Bona is impressively disciplined with his box-outs. Once a shot is in the air, Bona darts to the nearest big to bump them back.

Skill-wise, Adem Bona is still progressing. But he’ll make a possession-by-possession impact that will be impossible to ignore.

There aren’t many high schoolers in the country that can pull off this play.

This is who Kentucky just offered. Learn the name Adem Bona now, folks.

*Listen closely for one of my favorite lines in basketball* pic.twitter.com/NWf7Y6EpbS

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) August 18, 2021