Sixers: Can Shake Milton handle full-time point guard responsibilites?

Can Shake Milton be a full-time playmaker for the Philadelphia 76ers?

There’s a lot to digest with Ben Simmons being injured for what appears to be the rest of the season. One question that needs to be asked is can Shake Milton be the full-time playmaker for the Philadelphia 76ers moving forward? The answer is a little bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.

Remember last summer when Milton struggled to be the point guard of the Sixers’ Summer League team? Crazy how much he’s grown since then, but with Simmons likely missing the playoffs, Milton will be lone creator off the dribble for the 76ers until Simmons is healthy. The good news for Philly is that Milton played well for the most part in the first game without Simmons against the Orlando Magic.

There were times in the game against the Magic when Milton’s passes weren’t always on point but he still came away with six points, eight rebounds, and one turnover. Milton is still a young developing player but he should be able to bring the ball and initiate the offense well enough for Philly moving forward.

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One area he has to improve is being a capable playmaker while still being aggressive in finding his own shot. He hasn’t been able to do that very often this season and if the Sixers want any chance of having a deep postseason run, then he has to start doing that.

He’s not alone

Another thing to consider is Milton’s won’t be the only playmaker on the floor. While he’s the best to create off the dribble, he’s not the only playmaker and no I’m not talking about Josh Richardson who has been disappointing in that regard. Al Horford is an excellent passer who can help Milton carry the load as a playmaker.

Horford started in Simmons’ place against Orlando and while he had a great game scoring, he only had two assists. Don’t let the two assists fool you, Horford has averaged 4.0 assists on the season. Head coach Brett Brown doesn’t have to rely on Milton alone to run offensive sets, Horford can be a playmaker in the half-court for Philly as Christopher Kline of The Sixer Sense recently wrote.

Next. 4 replacements for Simmons in the starting 5. dark

Milton can survive as the lone creator off the dribble, but he’s not the only playmaker in the Philadelphia 76ers’ starting five without Ben Simmons.