As the Philadelphia 76ers look for ways to salvage the 2019-2020 NBA Season, the team should look to give guard Shake Milton an expanded role.
It’s no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers have been somewhat of a disappointment this season. With the lack of continuity in the starting lineup, folks have wondered if the summer acquisitions even panned out. It all seems to be coming to a head, as the team may need to make a serious change. There are a plethora of ways for the team to rectify the situation, but the one we will address today comes in the form of guard Shake Milton.
The Sixers were put in a strange predicament last offseason when Jimmy Butler left the team in favor of the Miami Heat. Butler was seen as one of the missing pieces to the Sixers’ offense because of his ability to get his own shot. On top of that, the Sixers lost J.J. Redick in free agency, creating a huge void in three-point shooting. Both Butler and Redick started for the Sixers last season and their departure created two massive holes in the offense.
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In order to mitigate this loss, the Sixers brought in Josh Richardson and Al Horford, respectively. The goal here was to create a defense-oriented lineup alongside Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid. With the shortest person in that starting lineup standing at 6’6″, it seemed like the Philadelphia 76ers had everything figured out.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case. The Sixers currently sit at 39-26 and tied for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. For a team that had home-court expectations, that is simply unacceptable. It would make sense for the Sixers to look to tweak the rotations around in order to provide some new life to this team.
Now, how has the current makeup of the Philadelphia 76ers faired? Well, the Sixers score an average of 109.6 points per game which places them at 21st in the NBA. On the flip side, the Sixers allow an average of 107.4 points per game, which is 6th in the NBA. So, the team can most definitely clamp up the opposition, but they can’t get buckets on the other end.
Clearly, the Sixers have a serious problem in one major area: spacing. As it currently stands, the Sixers’ best starting 3-point shooter is Tobias Harris at 36.2 percent. In a league where there is a premium on 3-point shooting, that simply cannot be the case. The Philadelphia 76ers lack the proper spacing in order to make Brett Brown’s offense function properly.
It’s fair to say that the Sixers’ lack of spacing comes from somewhat of an improper fit. In particular, the Sixers do not have someone who can mask Ben Simmons’ lack of shooting. On top of that, Al Horford and Joel Embiid do not work well enough to justify the pairing. Neither player is proficient enough from beyond the arc to make the duo make sense. This also creates problems for Tobias Harris, as he works best guarding slowing fours instead of threes that can actually keep up with him.
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As such, the most obvious solution would be to mix the starting lineup up a bit. In particular, moving Al Horford to the bench permanently in exchange for Shake Milton. Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “Milton had one good game against the Los Angeles Clippers. How on earth can you make this claim?”
Well, Milton would provide something the Philadelphia 76ers are drastically lacking in: perimeter shooting. Shake averages 45.3 percent from three, which makes him the best shooter on the Sixers’ roster. On top of that, Milton has shown that he can get his own shot, as he did against the Clippers earlier this season. It would be an immediate source of relief for the team, as shooting has been an area of serious struggle for them.
In addition to this, Simmons would have less of a burden to carry. With Milton in the starting lineup, Simmons would be able to play off-ball in the “dunker” spot. It’s obvious that Simmons is at him best down low anyway, so why not play to his strengths instead of highlighting his weaknesses. Simmons has plenty of time to develop a decent jumper, and would benefit from Milton running the offense on occasion.
Finally, the frontcourt would benefit immensely because Horford would become the backup center off the bench. Considering the lack of depth at that position, Horford would immediately fortify that spot. On top of that, Harris could move back to his natural position at the four, creating better spacing opportunities for the Sixers. This would also mean Embiid could stay in the paint where he excels the most.
As such, the Philadelphia 76ers would be wise in experimenting with a starting lineup that included Shake Milton. The possibilities for spacing would be endless, and the Sixers would finally resolve some of their depth concerns. Overall, this would definitely be an idea that the Sixers could truly benefit from going forward.