Sixers: Pros and cons of starting Shake Milton

With training camp commencing, the Ben Simmons holdout has officially begun. In his absence it seems everyone assumes Tyrese Maxey will step into the Sixers‘ starting lineup in just his second NBA season. However, Shake Milton might have something to say about that.

Last we saw Shake Milton, he was starting the fourth quarter of game seven in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. We all know how that game ended, but the fact Doc Rivers went to Shake to provide a spark to a struggling Sixers team was telling. It makes one think he has a real opportunity to be the team’s starting point guard, barring a Simmons trade that returns a star guard.

Is Shake Milton the Sixers’ best option to replace Ben Simmons?

The Philadelphia fanbase was formally introduced to Shake Milton in early 2020 when he was thrust into the starting lineup due to a nerve impingement in Simmons’ back. Shake started four of his first five games on a tough road stretch where he averaged just below 20 points per game and shot 52 percent from 3-point range. He was electric.

Shake’s hot start proved to be lightning in a bottle and his play eventually came back to Earth, but there was real hope he could be a contributing role player for a Championship caliber team. Fast forward to the 2020-2021 season and a newly drafted Tyrese Maxey created guard competition and Shake’s role became a lot less clear.

Now with Ben Simmons likely to be traded or sitting out, the starting point guard position has become a hot topic of debate with many presuming the role will fall to Tyrese Maxey without much competition. *Shake Milton has entered the chat*. To circle back to the beginning, remember that Doc played Shake when the Sixers season was on the line with just 12 minutes left in a game seven.

Can Shake take his coach’s confidence from last season and use that to gain the starting role? Let’s dive into the pros and cons of Shake Milton starting this upcoming season.