Pre-camp Sixers questions: Can Sixers avoid another disastrous start to season? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers will travel to Abu Dhabi for preseason games vs. the Knicks on Oct. 2 and Oct. 4. They’ll begin their regular season by facing the Celtics on Oct. 22. 

Before the action commences, we’re looking at key questions for the 2025-26 Sixers. 

So far, we’ve covered: 

• Are the Sixers about to enter a true youth movement?
• Can the Sixers be a passable rebounding team?
• Will the 2025-26 Sixers have any bargain role players?

Next up: Can the Sixers avoid another disastrous start to the season? 

In retrospect, the Sixers’ 2024-25 season was over almost as soon as it started. 

The injuries and losses escalated. When they were available, veterans performed poorly. The team’s game-to-game energy was uneven and frigid shooting stretches clearly seeped into the Sixers’ defensive effort. 

“It’s been affecting us all year that way. … It’s hard,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said after a Nov. 24 blowout loss to the Clippers. “Just at the start of the game, when you see that you’re actually doing some good things and some of your better players are getting those looks and they just continually don’t go in, I think it does affect your defense in a couple of ways.

“One, you’re playing off a long rebound. And then you’re playing a little bit off of some disappointment that you did all that work to get a great shot and then it didn’t go in again. But hopefully, those will start going in.”

Nurse’s team dropped to 3-14 in its next game, an overtime defeat to the Rockets. The Sixers then strung together their best month of the season — 10-3 between Nov. 30 and Dec. 30 — but it wasn’t sustainable and the injury deluge never subsided. 

As usual, the most important variable will be the health of the Sixers’ stars. The team has shown Joel Embiid and Paul George out on the floor in recent social media posts. Embiid had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April, George in July.

Upgraded health is no guarantee, but it’s also a rather low bar to clear after the Embiid-George duo totaled 60 games last season. The Sixers hope their youngsters help mitigate the injuries that inevitably pop up throughout the year. 

As far as the Sixers’ early-season schedule, there’s pros and cons:

• The Sixers will play the Jayson Tatum-less Celtics three times in their first 11 games.
• They’ll face bottom-five Eastern Conference teams last year in four of their first nine games.
• Over the Sixers’ first 15 games, they have four back-to-backs.
• The Sixers don’t have a road trip over three games until a five-gamer between Dec. 26 and Jan. 3.
• Their first extended homestand is a six-game stay in Philadelphia from Jan. 14 to Jan. 24. 

It feels like much more than two years ago, but the Sixers had a very strong start to Nurse’s first season. Following an opening-night loss to the Bucks, they won eight games in a row and sat at the top of the Eastern Conference standings. 

While that sort of turnaround would exceed expectations, it’s obvious the Sixers need some sort of bounce-back start. 

Ramp to Camp: Predicting the Celtics’ starting five on opening night originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, and (eventually) Al Horford — combined with the absence of a rehabbing Jayson Tatum to start the season — the Boston Celtics are without a group that combined to start 234 games last season and 474 games over the past two seasons.

The Celtics’ starting five on opening night of the 2025-26 season will feature at least three new players. Will some familiar faces slide into those spots? For the 16th installment of our Ramp to Camp series — and kicking off “Predictions Week” — we asked our panel to predict the opening night starting five for the Celtics.

Our five: Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta.

We’re basically trotting out the remaining core of the 2024 title team and leaning heavily into both their familiarity and skill. It’s one of the few groupings that we have some actual data on from past seasons. 

Our starting five has played 67 minutes together over the past two seasons with a +9.6 net rating. That includes a sizzling 144 offensive rating, per PBPstats tracking. That group shot 41 percent on 3-point attempts with a 68.7 true shooting percentage.

The bad news: That five-man unit was pretty rough on defense, giving up 168 points in 125 defended possessions. Opponents shot 41.5 percent on 3s with a 62.2 true shooting percentage.

It’s hard to pluck too much from that sample, especially when you consider their 67 minutes together was over the course of 18 games. This five never played more than nine minutes together in a game.

We have obvious concerns about rebounding with this lineup. It’s rather undersized and puts a lot of pressure on Queta to control the glass (though we’ve often joked that Pritchard might lead the team in total rebounds with his penchant for chasing down offensive caroms).

We like the idea of putting as much shooting as possible around Brown to start games, then letting newcomer Anfernee Simons get ample touches with reserve pairings. If Pritchard elevates to a starting role, the Celtics do need someone who can be the glue for a younger second unit, and it will be intriguing to see who earns Joe Mazzulla’s trust in that bench group. 

Maybe you need to slide Pritchard or Hauser to bench role at some point to best balance the rotation. Maybe the Celtics need to go bigger and add size at the starting power forward spot. But to start the season, this group is getting the first crack and Mazzulla can tinker from there. 

Training camp reps will be vital to figuring out exactly which players accentuate each other’s talents.

Let’s see what our panel came up with for starting fives:

Darren Hartwell, Managing Editor

Derrick White, Anfernee Simons, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta.

This was a harder exercise than I expected. In the backcourt, I’m choosing not to mess with a good thing and let Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard be a super-sub, while White can help offset any of Simons’ defensive limitations. You could make the argument for going double-big with Chris Boucher and Queta, but Hauser’s experience earns him the nod as a stretch four for now.

Michael Hurley, Web Producer

I guess I’d go with Derrick White, Anfernee Simons, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta? 

Like many, I’m still not entirely convinced Simons will be in Boston to start the season, but I still like the idea of Payton Pritchard coming off the bench, even if he sees a big bump in minutes.

I’ve had some fairly high expectations for the team in terms of finishing with a winning record and winning a playoff series. But now that you’ve made me spell out the starting five like this, I’m tempted to adjust ever so slightly. Brown is going to have to do so much heavy lifting.

Josh Canu, Media Editor

Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown, Neemias Queta.

This seems like the obvious choice with the way this team is constructed. Five carry-over players who Joe Mazzulla will trust and we know all can play together. An undersized lineup for sure, but I think we will have to get used to that this season.

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Chris Boucher, Neemias Queta.

A focus on shooting with this lineup. Queta needs to be an aggressive offensive rebounder, while Brown needs to be an aggressive defensive rebounder.

Adam Hart, EP, Content Strategy

Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Chris Boucher, Neemias Queta.

I like the idea of Anfernee Simons leading the second unit and spreading the offensive firepower, versus packing that starting five.

Kayla Burton, Celtics Pregame Live host

Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Anfernee Simons, Neemias Queta. 

I struggled coming up with a starting five because I want to throw Payton Pritchard in there, but I think he is such a spark off the bench and thrives in that role. They also need bigger guys out there as a physical presence in the frontcourt.

Joe Mazzulla may play with the lineup early in the season to figure out his puzzle. 

Cal Raleigh’s historic 2025 season has seen him reach the 50-home run mark, marking the most homers in a season by a primary catcher in MLB history. He has also become the first player in MLB history to hit at least 20 home runs from each side of the plate in one season.

Raleigh stands alone with both the MLB’s single-season record for a switch-hitter, and the Seattle Mariners’ single-season franchise record, hitting both milestones in September.

Now, the catcher is still going. Raleigh hit home run No. 58 on Sunday against the Houston Astros, sending the two-run bomb into deep right field.

Raleigh is now only four homers from the AL single-season record of 62 home runs, set by New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in 2022.

[Get more Seattle news: Mariners team feed]

How Raleigh got here

The Mariners catcher’s road to home run history began on the final day of March, with his first dinger of the season, and he has continued the power surge ever since. Raleigh has hit blasts in consecutive games eight times and recorded 10 multi-homer games this season.

In addition to threatening Judge’s record, “Big Dumper” has already passed Mickey Mantle for most homers by a switch hitter, and adds on the Mariners’ franchise record as well.

As Raleigh approaches more history in his MVP-worthy season, we are tracking his notable 2025 home runs all the way through Game 162.

MARCH

Home runs hit: 1

March 31: Raleigh opened his 2025 home run account in the Mariners’ fifth game of the season, a 9-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers. His 358-foot blast came six days after he signed a six-year, $105 million extension.

APRIL

Home runs hit: 9

April 11: The history-making started early for Raleigh. During the Mariners’ 14th game, he launched his third blast of the season off Texas Rangers pitcher Chris Martin and set the franchise record for career home runs by a catcher with his 96th.

MAY

Home runs hit: 12

May 2: Raleigh’s first grand slam of the season came on a two-homer, five-RBI night in a 13-1 rout of Jack Leiter and the Rangers.

May 27: Raleigh’s third multi-home-run game of the season put his total up to 19 on the year and set an MLB record for home runs by a catcher in a team’s first 53 games of a season. Both dingers came against Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker.

May 30: Raleigh became the first catcher in MLB history with 20 home runs before the end of May with another multi-blast night that saw him knock in five runs in a 12-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

JUNE

Home runs hit: 11

June 20: A prolific May continued into June for Raleigh, as he reached double-digit home runs again and set the MLB record for homers by a catcher before the All-Star break with his 29th of the season at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs.

June 21: Still at Wrigley one day later, Raleigh hit No. 30 to become the first switch-hitter in MLB history to do so before the All-Star break, moving ahead of of Mickey Mantle, José Ramírez and Lance Berkman. He also became the first player to hit 30 home runs in his team’s first 75 games since 2001, when Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez achieved that feat.

Gene Wang – Capture At Media via Getty Images

JULY

Home runs hit: 9

July 14: By the time the baseball world descended on Atlanta for the All-Star Game, Raleigh had 38 home runs. He brought his power to Georgia, where he became the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby, edging Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero in the final. Raleigh is the second Mariner to win the event, joining Griffey, who won the Derby three times. Raleigh is also the first switch-hitter to win the Derby outright, as Rubén Sierra, the only other switch-hitter to win, shared the title in 1998.

July 26: Nearly two weeks after Raleigh’s Derby win, he hit No. 40 to become the seventh catcher in MLB history to post a 40-homer season, joining Salvador Perez, Johnny Bench, Javy López, Todd Hundley, Roy Campanella and Mike Piazza. It was the 133rd blast of Raleigh’s career, putting him ahead of Ken Griffey Jr. for the most by a Mariner in his first five MLB seasons.

AUGUST

Home runs hit: 8

Aug. 15: Homer No. 46 was launched during a win over the New York Mets that also saw Raleigh reach 100 RBI on the season. That matched his career high, set in 2024, and made Raleigh the first catcher since Mike Piazza in 1999 and 2000 with 100 RBI in consecutive seasons while playing at least 50% of his games behind the plate.

Aug. 24: An 11-4 win over the Athletics delivered yet another multi-homer game from Raleigh — one that saw him tie and then break the MLB record for home runs hit by a catcher in a single season when he hit Nos. 48 and 49 to leapfrog Salvador Perez.

Aug. 25: Raleigh reached 50 home runs before any other MLB player this season, getting there with a first-inning dinger during a win over the San Diego Padres. He is the only primary catcher to ever hit 50 blasts in a single season.

September

Home runs hit: 6 (and counting)

Sept. 2: Raleigh hit his first homer of September in a 6-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen left a 96 mph fastball high and over the middle of the plate, and Raleigh launched it into the right-field stands at Steinbrenner Field.

Sept. 14: After a one-week home run drought, Raleigh hit his 54th home run of the season to tie Mickey Mantle for the most home runs by a switch-hitter in a single season.

Sept. 16: Raleigh hit two milestones with a two-homer night against the Kansas City Royals. The catcher started off by hitting his 55th blast of the year in the third inning, breaking Mickey Mantle’s MLB record for homers by a switch-hitter in a single season. Mantle set the record with 54 homers in 1961.

Then, in the fourth, Raleigh hit home run No. 56 with a two-run shot to center field, tying Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise single-season record.

With the two-homer performance, Raleigh became the first player in MLB history with a multi-home run game against 10 different teams in the same season.

Sept. 17: Raleigh smacked a solo homer, his 57th of the season, to pass Ken Griffey Jr. for the Mariners’ single-season home run record. Griffey hit the 56 mark twice, in 1997 and ’98, but Raleigh now stands alone on top.

The MLB postseason is right around the corner. And with less than two weeks left in the regular season, every team with World Series aspirations still has a lot left to play for.

Let’s break down the MLB standings and the playoff picture as they look ahead of games on Sept. 22.

Who has clinched a spot in the playoffs?

The Brewers clinched the first spot in the playoffs on Sept. 13. They are in line to win the NL Central and secure the NL’s No. 1 seed.

The Phillies clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 14. They won the NL East and are in line to secure the NL’s No. 2 seed.

The Cubs clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 17. They are in line to secure the top wild card in the NL and the No. 4 seed.

The Dodgers clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 19. They are in line to win the NL West and secure the No. 3 seed. 

The Blue Jays clinched a postseason spot on Sept. 21, making them the first American League team in the field. They’re in line to win the AL East and secure the No. 1 seed in the AL.

Who can clinch next?

The Padres’ and Yankees’ magic numbers are down to three.

On the NL side, the Padres have playoff odds above 99%, according to FanGraphs. The Brewers and Dodgers are in position to win their divisions, while the Cubs currently hold the top wild card. The Mets are also in wild-card position.

In the AL, the Yankees and Mariners all have playoff odds of 99% or better. Also in playoff position are the Tigers, Red Sox and Astros. The Tigers, Blue Jays and Mariners currently lead their divisions, with the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros making up the wild-card field. 

But someone could still shake up the wild-card picture, as the Guardians are within 1.5 games of the Red Sox for the final spot in the AL, and the Reds and Diamondbacks are within 2 games of the Mets for the final spot in the NL.

What else is up for grabs?

The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in each league go to the division winners with the two best records. Those teams earn a bye through the wild-card round and hosting rights in the division series. Currently, the Brewers, Phillies, Mariners and Blue Jays are in line to claim those byes.

The No. 3 seed goes to the third division winner, and that team will host the three-game wild-card series against the No. 6 seed (which goes to the third wild card). The top wild-card team will earn the No. 4 seed and host the No. 5 seed (the second wild card) in the wild-card round.

The higher seed also gets home-field advantage in the championship series, once we get that far.

What are the tiebreakers?

No longer do teams play a Game 163 if they finish the season tied. Instead, tiebreakers are determined by head-to-head records first and, if needed, intradivision records second.

Here are the tiebreakers that could come into play:

• The Blue Jays have clinched the tiebreaker against the Red Sox, Yankees and Tigers.

• The Red Sox have clinched the tiebreaker against the Yankees.

• The Tigers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Astros.

• The Mariners have clinched the tiebreaker against the Tigers and Astros.

• The Mets have clinched the tiebreaker against the Phillies and Padres.

• The Phillies have clinched the tiebreaker against the Dodgers.

• The Brewers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Phillies.

• The Cubs have clinched the tiebreaker against the Brewers.

• The Dodgers have clinched the tiebreaker against the Padres.

• The Astros have clinched the tiebreaker against the Blue Jays.

• The Guardians have clinched the tiebreaker against the Astros.

• The Reds have clinched the tiebreaker against the Mets.

What would the playoff bracket look like if the season ended today?

American League

Wild card: No. 6 Houston Astros vs. No. 3 Detroit Tigers
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Seattle Mariners

Wild card: No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
ALDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Toronto Blue Jays

National League

Wild card: No. 6 Cincinnati Reds vs. No. 3 L.A. Dodgers
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies

Wild card: No. 5 San Diego Padres vs. No. 4 Chicago Cubs
NLDS: Wild-card winner vs. No. 1 Milwaukee Brewers

What’s the schedule for the postseason?

Wild-card series (best of three)

Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*

Division series (best of five)

ALDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*

NLDS

Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*

Championship series (best of seven)

ALCS

Game 1: Sunday, Oct 12
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*

NLCS

Game 1: Monday, Oct 13
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*

World Series (best of seven)

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*

(*if necessary)

It’s deja vu all over again as the New York Giants announced right before kickoff Sunday night that kicker Graham Gano, 38, is questionable with a groin injury.

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Tyrone Tracy suffers a shoulder injury

Giants running back Tyrone Tracy is questionable with a right shoulder injury after taking a big hit on a pass along along the sideline from Russell Wilson. His status is unknown at this time, so stay with Big Blue View for more information as we get it.

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The Kansas City Chiefs won the coin toss and elected to defer.

Gano warmed up normally before the game, executing kicks 20 minutes before the start of the game per our own Ed Valentine. The situation mirrors Week 2 in 2024, when Gano suffered a hamstring injury on the opening kick-off against the Washington Commanders.

Giants punter Jamie Gillan handled a kick-off earlier in the year, but it’s unknown if “The Scottish Hammer” can execute field goals and extra points if Graham is unable to kick or the injury ultimately takes him out of the game. Both the Giants and Chiefs are obviously desperate for wins after 0-2 starts and a special teams deficiency could be a significant difference in the game.

The Giants reached the Kansas City 28-yard line, but failed to convert on 4th-and-3. Gano was warming up on the sideline, but as of now no way to know if he wasn’t healthy enough to try the kick.

Stay with Big Blue View for more as we monitor the situation.