Sixers: Pros and cons of starting Shake Milton

Cons of the Sixers starting Shake Milton

It can’t be all positive when discussing Shake Milton starting for the Sixers. Naturally there are some cons to this as well.

The biggest criticism of Shake is that he is an inconsistent player. He can go out and explode for 30+ points and look unstoppable against opposing defenses. But he can also have terrible shooting nights which seem to affect his confidence and seep into other parts of his game.

On nights when a good player does not have it going for them offensively, they step up on defense and help their team with effort on the other end of the court. Shake does the opposite. When he is struggling offensively, his defense deteriorates and opposing guards can drive through him like swiss cheese.

Another con to starting Shake is the possibility of stunting Maxey’s learning curve. Maxey appears ready to start in the NBA in just his second season in the league at the young age of 20.  Maxey’s explosiveness and speed off the dribble are encouraging to see at such a young age. Having him come off the bench could affect his confidence and learning curve as there is no better teacher than live game action. We haven’t even mentioned the possibility of his agent causing PR issues if Maxey’s playing time is less than expected.

The Sixers roster is clearly in flux and hamstrung by the fact that Ben Simmons is demanding a trade or says he will holdout the entire season. Ideally, the team will receive equitable compensation in a Simmons trade that could help propel this roster back to a championship contender. In the meantime, there is much to be figured out regarding the guard rotation in Simmons’ absence. Will Shake or Maxey start? Will both start? Will neither? The season kicks off in less than a month and hopefully by then there will be more clarity for this team and franchise.