For the first time in the 2025-26 Sixers season, welcome to Sunday stats, where we examine a series of Sixers-centric figures.
To kick things off after the Sixers’ first three preseason games, let’s check in on the good and bad of key parts of the team’s frontcourt depth:
3
Andre Drummond's number of made three-pointers on four attempts across three preseason games.
This time last year, Drummond was routinely trying to establish himself as a three-point shooter. After making a few triples in the preseason, he started attempting them in real games. Drummond continually implied that his coaches were encouraging him to take those shots despite his total lack of shooting production as an NBA player.
So far in 2025-26, a very similar script is being followed. Drummond made a corner three in the Sixers’ second preseason game in Abu Dhabi last week, which he quickly followed up with an ill-advised heat check. And in Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic, Drummond ended up knocking down a pair of corner triples:
Drummond spoke with confidence after the game about the work he has put in to become a viable option from beyond the arc, and it sounds like this time around the corners have become his specific focus. That is a more realistic shot to develop than above-the-break threes for a player with no shooting track record. Drummond once again expressed that his coaches have encouraged him to take those shots. Whether that trust extends to games in the regular season remains to be seen.
MORE: Tyrese Maxey's 'free and easy' scoring on display in Sixers' third preseason game
6
Dominick Barlow's number of offensive rebounds in Friday's preseason game against the Orlando Magic.
Immediately after the Sixers completed their first official practice of the season, head coach Nick Nurse raved about Barlow, a two-way signee with three years of NBA experience. Among Nurse's favorite descriptors of a player is that they are active and make good things happen as a result. That is how he has portrayed Barlow’s play in practice, which has mostly come at power forward.
Barlow has a strong blend of size and athleticism; he has paired it with high-energy play to become a significant presence on the glass. As Nurse asks virtually every frontcourt player on the Sixers to step up their rebounding, Barlow’s ability to generate extra shot attempts crashing has stood out in the team’s facility.
That translated to game action on Friday night, as Barlow was a legitimate tone-setter as an offensive rebounder. The Sixers corralled five offensive boards in the first six minutes of the game and three of them belonged to Barlow:
After Friday’s game, Nurse said that Barlow “for sure” has given himself a chance to crack the team’s rotation on opening night despite his two-way status. Barlow has emerged as the early frontrunner over fellow two-way forward Jabari Walker, but there is a path to both players logging minutes — especially if Trendon Watford’s hamstring issue continues to linger.
9
The number of personal fouls committed by Adem Bona in 45 preseason minutes.
Bona has gotten into early foul trouble in all three Sixers preseason games. It is an issue. Bona’s makeup — top-tier athleticism, a motor that never stops and a penchant for blocking shots — makes him a prime candidate to be whistled for foul calls.
Nurse knows Bona will occasionally find himself in foul trouble. The key is making those fouls count, and avoiding the cheap ones that don’t impact the game. If Bona fouls a driver attempting to score at the rim and makes him earn points at the line, so be it. But when Bona reaches for a steal 30 feet away from the basket and gets called for a foul, he is only hurting his chances of making the standout defensive plays that could power his journey to becoming an NBA regular.
Nurse said that he and the rest of the team’s coaches will just have to keep showing Bona those cheap fouls on film and reminding him how costly they can be. Tyrese Maxey voiced his displeasure in a lighthearted manner and Drummond, one of Bona’s early-career mentors, said he takes a more “lenient” approach to instructing Bona. In Drummond’s view, Bona has more than enough athleticism to block or alter shots without putting himself at risk of being called for a foul.
MORE: Bona riding EuroBasket momentum into second year with Sixers
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