Philadelphia 76ers: Shake Milton’s absence kills bench

The Philadelphia 76ers need Shake Milton as soon as possible.

Shake Milton suffered a left ankle sprain in last Tuesday’s win over Sacramento, which has resulted in two missed games and counting for the Philadelphia 76ers’ backup point guard. He was out for the Sixers’ losses in Portland and Phoenix, and is expected to miss Monday’s battle with Utah. His status beyond this road trip remains uncertain.

While Milton’s third NBA season has been marred by uneven shooting and inconsistent defense, he is still the Sixers’ most important bench piece by a wide margin — at least on the offensive end. He’s averaging 14.0 points per game, fourth-highest on the team, and is often tasked with leading the offense in second-unit groups.

The Sixers’ bench has struggled mightily in Milton’s brief absence. The Sixers bench managed just 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting in Portland, before regressing to an even worse 15 points on 4-of-16 shooting in Phoenix (excluding garbage time shots from Isaiah Joe and Tony Bradley). Doc Rivers made note of the stagnant second unit, and expressed frustration accordingly.

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Few teams are as lacking in the perimeter creation department as Philadelphia. The Sixers simply do not have a wealth of players who can create from scratch and generate points the hard way. Milton is one of the few who can, and when you shift that burden entirely to the ill-prepared Tyrese Maxey, the offense is bound to struggle.

The solution in the short-term is simple. Rivers can no longer rely on five bench players at once — a favorite rotational quirk of his, especially late in the first quarters and early in the second quarters of games. He needs to stagger his rotation, ideally to keep one of Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid on the floor at all times.

Also of note is the diminishing prominence of Tyrese Maxey, who just a few weeks ago felt like an important part of the Sixers’ championship pursuit — even as a rookie. Any veil of certainty around Maxey’s spot in the rotation has vanished. When Milton returns, Rivers may only go nine-deep. If he does go 10-deep, Maxey may have competition in the newly returned Mike Scott.

With Maxey unreliable and no other ball-handlers in the second unit — a shortage the Sixers may look to rectify at the trade deadline — there is little to debate as far as Milton’s importance to Philadelphia’s success. He has his share of down moments, but overall, Milton is a subtly gifted shot-maker who should grow more efficient as the season progresses. The Sixers need him back sooner than later.