The Philadelphia 76ers made a huge change to their starting lineup for the NBA restart in Orlando which includes second-year guard Shake Milton taking over as the starting point guard.
Milton had a nightmarish first game in Orlando as he went scoreless with three turnovers in a loss to the Indiana Pacers, but he responded in a huge way since then. He drilled the game-winning shot to beat the San Antonio Spurs and he then had 14 points and four assists while knocking down three from deep in a win over the Washington Wizards.
These are the regular waves that a young player goes through and he has always received praise from his teammates for how he handles himself. One guy who understands the ups and downs is Furkan Korkmaz who has had a similar journey.
“Every player has ups and downs in their career, you play two [good] games and then you have one bad game,” said Korkmaz. “That’s pretty normal. It’s all about proving yourself, that is a process for a player. It doesn’t matter if it’s Shake or me or somebody else, this is all a process and we just need to stay focused, in this bubble, we need each other more. We just need to come together and support each other.”
Korkmaz and Milton have spent time in the G League and they both have had those ups and downs that question whether a player will become anything in the NBA. That type of journey is something that sticks with a player throughout their career.
“Also for me, I’ve known Shake,” Korkmaz added. “We’ve been through a lot of stuff together. I know he has had a lot of tough situations, but right now, I am happy about him and the way he has been shooting on the court. He deserves it.”
The Sixers will need these contributions from Milton and more moving forward as they get set to take on the Orlando Magic on Friday. [lawrence-related id=36272,36266,36257]