By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor 
Injuries are something that a team wants to have to deal with. Let alone to the magnitude that the Sixers have, four of the five starters have had their issues with the injury bug this season. Although injuries can be rough, it can still be turned into a positive.
When a player goes down with an injury it opens an opportunity for another player to step up and show what they can do. This can be huge for young players who are trying to earn spots in their team’s rotation.
We have seen this in a decent sample for the Sixers this season. One player, in particular, is Shake Milton, who continues to raise eyebrows for the Sixers with every opportunity he gets.
Milton was on the Sixers last year on a two-way contract that limited his time to spend with the team. But this summer he was given a multi-year deal to be with the team full time. Milton has been in and out of the rotation throughout this season, but that might change soon.
He has kept himself ready at all times for whenever his number is called and it has paid off greatly for him. Every time he has been allowed to show what he can do for this team, he has made the most of it.
Milton has also stepped up when needed. One night, in particular, was earlier in the season where he would start in place of an injured Josh Richardson. He would go on to post a career-high 27 points in the game, scoring in a multitude of ways.
Shake has started in multiple games this season and left his impact. When given the chance to run in the starting lineup, his numbers see a nice boost.
Shake Milton as a starter this season:
11.6 PPG
3.5. RPG
3.3 APG
52.3 FG%
48.8 3P%Milton is shows more promise with every opportunity he gets. Great sign for the Sixers moving forward.
— Kevin McCormick (@KevinMcCSports) February 28, 2020
His development has taken a big step in the right direction, which is a good sign for the team moving forward. With a lot of money invested into the starting lineup, the team needs players who can produce on cheaper deals. Milton is on a very team-friendly deal and is locked up until after the 2022-2023 season.
At this point, it is safe to say that Milton has earned his spot in the rotation and should be here to stay. He fills a lot of holes that this team needs going forward. He is a scoring option off the bench, can handle the basketball, and knock down shots from deep at a nice clip.
Losing Ben Simmons for an extended period is something nobody wanted to see happen. But it opens minutes for a guy like Shake to continue to develop and show the positive asset he can be for the team in the coming years.
