The offseason was a journey.

The 2013-14 regular season bled into an exciting NBA postseason that featured five game sevens in the first round alone. May’s Draft Lottery brought the attention of Philadelphia basketball fans back to their hometown team, and an eventful draft night one month later set the Sixers on an exciting course. Days later, the team departed for Orlando, and one week later for Las Vegas, to take part in two summer leagues that satiated fans through the first half of July. The end of August brought with it the FIBA World Cup and the chance to watch Sixers draftee Dario Saric represent the Croatian National Team. And the weeks between FIBA and the start of training camp, well they were tough to bear…

On Monday, the time of year set aside for these basketball aperitifs will finally come to an end, as the Sixers take on the Celtics in Boston to open an eight-game preseason slate. There’s a lot to look forward to this preseason, but here are my top six:

1) Noel’s NBA Debut

It’s been a long wait for Sixers fans, and an even longer wait for Nerlens Noel. The last time the 6’11” big man suited up for a game that wasn’t played in a two-toned practice pinnie, Macklemore’s Thrift Shop sat atop the Billboard Charts and Dwight Howard was still a Los Angeles Laker. It’s been 601 days since the Kentucky freshman injured his left knee in a game against the Florida Gators on February 12, 2013, but it feels like it’s been even longer…

No matter the numbers that end up beside the Everett, Massachusetts native’s name in the box score after Monday’s game, simply getting back on the floor will be liberating for Noel. For fans, their patience last season will finally be rewarded.

2) Pacing and Transition Defense

When the Sixers took the floor for Brett Brown’s first game as the team’s head coach last year, a preseason exhibition against Spanish club Bilbao Basket, the most jarring departure from the year prior was without a doubt pace.

After averaging just over 94 offensive possessions per game under Doug Collins in 2012-13 (23rd in the NBA), Brown’s team came out of the gate running, literally. On missed Bilbao shot attempts, guards swiftly leaked out and rebounders immediately looked to find them for long outlets. On made baskets, the pace was just as frenetic, with inbounders racing to grab the ball, plant a single foot just past the baseline and fire the ball to an eager ballhandler.

Preseason play was just a taste of what was to come.

The Sixers led the league in possessions per game last season, averaging 103.4 per game (the most by any team since the 2009-10 Warriors). But having the league’s fastest offense came with its own unique set of challenges.

Quick misses and turnovers on the break led to easy transition baskets the other way. Coach Brown knows that is an area that the Sixers will need to improve moving forward, which was why he made it a point of emphasis during last week’s training camp.

Don’t expect the Sixers to abandon their high-tempo style, but look to see how Brown’s attention throughout camp and the addition of rim protector Nerlens Noel and a number of athletic wings will help the team sure up their defense in transition.

3) Tony Running The Show

Tony Wroten arrived in Philadelphia without much circumstance. The 21-year-old southpaw had logged just 272 total minutes as a rookie in 2012-13, averaging 2.6 points and 1.2 assists per game while playing primarily in blowouts on a 56-26 Memphis Grizzlies team that went on to advance to the Western Conference Finals. But after being acquired by the Sixers last summer, he was given the opportunity to shine. Wroten immediately earned a spot in the rotation once the season began, appearing in 72 games and averaging 13.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 24. 5 minutes per game while splitting time between both guard positions.

With Michael Carter-Williams sidelined while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery this preseason, Coach Brown has given the third-year-guard the keys to the Sixers’ offense. In 12 games starting in place of Carter-Williams at point guard last year, Wroten averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. Expect Casper Ware to also see time at the point and for combo guards Alexey Shved and Elliot Williams to potentially be entrusted with ballhandling duties at times too.

4) Henry The Grouch

During training camp, Coach Brown used the adjective “grumpy” when asked to describe third-year center Henry Sims. Some players might take issue with such a characterization, but to Sims, it was music to his ears.

After going undrafted in 2012, the 6’10” big man spent 18 months bouncing between the NBA Development League, the NBA itself, and the Philippine Basketball League until being dealt by the Cavaliers to the Sixers in a trade on February 20, 2014. Over the final two months of last season, Sims started 25 games and played four times more NBA minutes (707) than he had since his days at Georgetown University.

The 24-year-old is entering this season as the Sixers’ projected starter at center, allowing rookie Nerlens Noel to slide to the four and prepare to play alongside 2014 third-overall pick Joel Embiid when he recovers from foot surgery. How Sims and Noel work off of one another in the post will be an interesting storyline to watch during the preseason.

5) The Undrafted Rookies

This year’s preseason roster features two undrafted rookies, St. John’s University product JaKarr Sampson and Ronald Roberts, who played his collegiate ball locally at St. Joseph’s University. Both represented the Sixers at the Orlando Pro Summer League in July.

Sampson is a wiry 6’9” forward with a 7’0” wingspan and a nose for the ball on the glass and on the defensive end of the floor. Through five games in Orlando, the Akron, Ohio native averaged 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 19.4 minutes per contest.

Roberts turned heads as well, averaging 10.2 points (65.6 FG%) and 8.2 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game. While in college, the 6’8” forward was a fan favorite amongst Hawks fans because of above-the-rim style and high-energy play. He was the focus of a feature on Sixers.com earlier this week.

6) The Return of The (Four) M’s

In making this list, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Monday night marks the return of Philadelphia’s favorite broadcast team, Mark Zumoff, Malik Rose, and Molly Sullivan. The “Three M’s” will be calling the team’s preseason opener against Boston remotely from Comcast SportsNet’s Philadelphia studio for broadcast on The Comcast Network, but will be on site for the team’s October 8 and October 16 home preseason games, on TCN and CSN, respectively. Once the regular season begins, the CSN crew will broadcast all 82 games on site.

The fourth “M”, Tom McGinnis, returns for his 20th season as the radio voice of the Sixers. If you haven’t listened to one of McGinnis’ broadcasts on 97.5 The Fanatic, do yourself a favor and tune in. He impressively paints an eloquent and comprehensive picture of the action happening on the floor all while providing in-depth statistical and biographical insight on the fly. Beyond the surplus of reasons to listen to one of Tom’s broadcasts, you should do so because five of the team’s eight preseason games this season will only be available via radio broadcast.