Can the Sixers Break the Curse and Ignite a Season Turnaround?
As the Philadelphia 76ers gear up to take on the New York Knicks in Abu Dhabi this October, anticipation is bubbling for what could be a defining season ahead. With preseason matchups slated for October 2 and 4, and a regular-season opener against the Celtics on October 22, all eyes are on how this squad will rebound from a turbulent 2024-25 campaign. Last season felt like a rollercoaster stuck on a downhill plunge — injuries stacked up, performances fluctuated wildly, and the energy just never quite ignited consistently. Head coach Nick Nurse voiced the frustration plainly, emphasizing how tough it is to maintain intensity when shots refuse to fall. Now, the question looms large: can the Sixers shake off last year’s shadows, keep their stars healthy, and kick off with a spark instead of another sputter? They’ve got some breathing room in the early schedule but must navigate back-to-back games and key matchups without their full roster firing on all cylinders. The hope? That young talent steps up and that the Embiid-George duo can stay on the court longer than last season’s combined 60 games. It’s a tall order — but hey, that’s what makes the road ahead so intriguing.
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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:
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.
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