Sixers mailbag: Evaluating Shake Milton, finalizing the rotation, and predicting how the team will do in the postseason
Things are different for Shake Milton with Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Josh Richardson back on the floor. He is no longer looked upon as a scoring point guard.
This is the 23rd edition of the weekly 76ers mailbag.
Each week, Inquirer.com followers may submit questions to be answered on Friday.
Missed out on the party this week? No worries. Submit question(s) for next time by following me on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers and tweeting your inquiry with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.
Question: After viewing the three scrimmage games, what is your evaluation of Shake Milton? Will he be an upgrade in the starting lineup with Ben Simmons moving to the 4? — @R2TheNorton
Answer: What’s good, Ryan? Happy Friday, man.
In regards to your first question, Milton played the way I envisioned. Things are different for him with Simmons, Joel Embiid and Josh Richardson back on the floor. He is no longer looked upon as a scoring point guard. His job is to stretch the floor and set teammates up. As we witnessed, the offense ran better when Simmons had the ball as the point forward.
I think Shake will have to handle the physicality of opposing teams better when handling the ball. That’s because squads are going to come after him hard.
I wouldn’t say that he’s an upgrade at point guard over Simmons, because the Sixers are at their best when the two-time All-Star has the ball. But I will say having Milton in the starting lineup gives the Sixers better floor spacing, which is needed.
Q: Are they going to keep the 10-man rotation or are they going to shorten it like most teams do in the playoffs? If so, who are the two players whose time will decrease? — @moepatt
A: What’s up, Moe? Thanks for the question. Look for the Sixers to reduce their rotation to nine players in the postseason.
Before the scrimmages, I expected Al Horford, Furkan Korkmaz and Matisse Thybulle to play the bulk of reserve minutes, and Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks would be situational players. My opinion has changed after the three scrimmages. I currently think Korkmaz could have his minutes reduced or be a situational player. His defensive shortcomings could keep him off the floor. Plus, Robinson was having a great training camp before his injury, and Burks is showing a lot of versatility. I think we will learn more about another player who could have their minutes slashed during the seeding games.
Q: How far do you think we’ll go in the playoff? — @seanjamison20
A: Great question, Sean. Like I wrote in Friday’s Inquirer, it will depend on improving their chemistry. If that happens, they have enough talent to make a deep playoff run. If not, they might be in a battle to advance past the first round.
Coach Brett Brown must get the players to buy in as one.
If not, I believe they’ll do well in their eight seeding games against the second-easiest schedule in the NBA restart, only to be in for a tough battle in the first round. If they advance, I don’t see the Sixers being successful in the second round without improved team chemistry.