Philadelphia 76ers: Shake Milton’s role when Ben Simmons returns

The future of the 2019-20 NBA season is uncertain. However, for the Philadelphia 76ers, when the season does resume, Ben Simmons will have had more time to recover from the nerve impingement in his back. When he returns, what role will Shake Milton have?

Shake Milton has been absolutely balling since he started filling in for Ben Simmons, as noted in my previous article. Most impressive is his three-point success; he is currently shooting 52 percent from deep over the Philadelphia 76ers‘ last five games, four of which were on the road, and tallying 19.4 points per game.

For a player who rarely saw court time during the first half of the season due to depth at the wing position, Shake has now established himself as a key cog in this team’s offensive game plan. Noah Levick noted that Brett Brown expects Shake to have a “significant role” upon Simmons’ return, which is undoubtedly deserved.

Shake and Simmons can definitely share the floor together. They actually complement each other very well, as Shake spreads the floor with his shooting and has the ability to bring the ball up. He is somewhat becoming the player that many hoped Markelle Fultz would be, who was supposed to be a perfect match alongside Simmons in the backcourt.

Another likely lineup scenario for Shake is leading the second string, which until the injuries of late also included Al Horford. Horford and Shake would provide a significant spark off the bench and match up very favorably with opposing team’s second units. This would also solve the spacing issue that has plagued this team when Embiid, Simmons and Horford all share the floor together.

Obviously the league is currently suspended indefinitely and Simmons’ injury timeline is still as vague as it was two weeks ago, so lineup discussions are the last thing on people’s minds. But, when the league does resume play, it is critical the Sixers can solidify a healthy playoff lineup that can propel this team to a deep playoff run