The 2025-26 Sixers regular season officially begins today, with the team in Boston getting prepared to face off against a Celtics squad that had its loaded roster from prior seasons gutted by injuries and cost-cutting. Boston still represents a formidable challenge, though.
“They present a style of play that they’ve had going for many years,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday. “…They’re going to play a lot of guys that can shoot the ball, they’re going to try to get you in mismatches and they’re just really good at playing one-on-one… Some of the names have changed, some of the pieces have moved a little bit for sure, but they’re doing some similar things.”
All season long, we here at PhillyVoice will be previewing Sixers games with writers covering their opponents on a regular basis.
Leading us off ahead of Sixers-Celtics is Brian Robb, a Celtics reporter for MassLive and host of the “Still Poddable” podcast.
Adam Aaronson: Jaylen Brown has always been a stellar sidekick for Jayson Tatum, but with Tatum sidelined for at least the vast majority of the season, Brown has the chance to step into the clear lead role for the Celtics. What should people be expecting from Brown as a true top option?
Brian Robb: The one thing that Jaylen Brown has been pushing for the Celtics over the past couple years: play faster, and that’s one thing I think we will see with this group with Brown leading the way. They are going to try to run a lot more and that bodes well for Brown’s game in transition along with the guards on this team as they try to make up for Tatum’s production.
Brown is also going to try to be more of a facilitator in this leading role and that’s something that has been a hit-or-miss proposition in the past. He’s come a long way since his rookie year in this area but his assist-to-turnover ratio has always been a weak spot. With opposing defenses putting their best defenders on him more this year, the best chance this team has is probably him being able to set up his teammates for easy looks that he won’t necessarily see.
AA: Aside from Brown, which Celtics player has the most to gain from the temporary loss of Tatum and the ensuing trades of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis?
BR: Derrick White has always been a key part of the Celtics roster but now he’s a clear-cut No. 2 option for the first time in his career. He’s going to have the ball in his hands a ton and will be seeking out perimeter looks while being empowered on the offensive end.
For a guy who has never taken more than 12 shots per game in his career, I would expect that to skyrocket to at least 16 attempts per game simply because the team does not have many reliable creators outside of him and Jaylen Brown.
At points last season when Porziņģis returned from his injury, White was turned into a bystander on the offensive end. He’s played at an All-Star level at points during the last couple of seasons but he was never given the opportunities to sustain that production given the wealth of options within Boston’s offense. That changes this year.
AA: The Celtics have been squarely in the mix as championship contenders for several years. Success was defined by whether or not they won a championship. In 2025-26, things are much different. So, what would constitute a successful season for these Celtics?
BR: It’s all about finding out which players can sustain bigger roles for when this team returns to a contending level. There is no answer for the future at center right now, so figuring out whether Neemias Queta can soak up regular minutes at that spot and hold his own is one big goal. Can Payton Pritchard thrive as a full-time starter? Is White a viable No. 3 option on a contender? Can a diamond in the rough be unearthed among the veteran’s minimum signings (Josh Minott, Luka Garza, Chris Boucher) for next season?
MORE: What will Nick Nurse’s rotation look like on opening night?
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice
