Doc Rivers says Shake Milton ‘has proven he should play’ after starting backcourt returns from injury

HOUSTON — Doc Rivers will be facing some tough decisions in the coming weeks. Finding a spot for Shake Milton will not be one of them.

The 76ers coach must decide how he’ll continue to incorporate players currently making key contributions once James Harden and Tyrese Maxey return from injury.

That can be tough when a player is excelling in an expanded role as a fill-in. A necessary coaching adjustment could be similar to making a rhythm-altering, in-game decision. Like when your team is down double digits, and you insert the reserves, who bring you back.

» READ MORE: With the Sixers’ stars sidelined, Shake Milton emerged when they needed him most

Do you keep going with the substitutes? Or do you put the starters back in?

Harden, a perennial All-NBA point guard, and standout third-year guard Tyrese Maxey will undoubtedly return to the starting lineup, with Harden targeting a return Monday in Texas. However, the big questions are which fill-in players will remain in the rotation and how many minutes will they receive?

“We’re deep,” Rivers said. “So everybody is not going to play. But certain guys will and Shake [Milton] will be one of them.”

Milton’s minutes will undoubtedly decrease as early as Monday at the Toyota Center, when Harden is expected to play after missing 14 games with a strained tendon in his right foot.

After taking advantage of extended minutes in Harden’s absence, Milton provides the Sixers (12-11) with depth that they didn’t know they had.

His game took off after he was inserted into the starting lineup eight games ago. He averaged 21.3 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 45.5% from the field in 38 minutes. But his biggest accomplishment was leading the Sixers during a critical stretch five-game stretch. They went 3-1 in the final four without the starting backcourt and Joel Embiid.

In the five games, he averaged 23.6 points on 60.6% shooting from the field, including a 52% mark from beyond the three-point line. Milton also shot 95% from the foul line while averaging 6.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 3.2 turnovers in 38.6 minutes.

That’s impressive numbers for someone who didn’t play in three of the first four games of the season. And in his four appearances before Harden’s injury, Milton averaged just 2.0 points in 7.4 minutes.

» READ MORE: Mailbag: Are the Sixers built to beat the Celtics or Bucks in the playoffs?

“There’s always a competition going on, a competition for minutes” Rivers said, “and Shake has proven that he should play. Hopefully that continues, you know? Can he play this role with shorter minutes? That’s what happens.

“Guys get a lot of minutes and they can play. They get shorter minutes and sometimes they can’t. But he will be able to. Shake is just another guard. We know we can use him, so that’s really good.”

So we’ll see if Milton can have the same impact on games with fewer shots in fewer minutes. But there’s no doubt that he’ll play more than at the start of the season, when Harden was healthy. It would be shocking if he went back to being buried on the bench.

At the elite level on which Milton is playing, Rivers has to find minutes for him. That might involve the coach taking minutes from another player to keep Milton on the floor more.

He’s earned that. Everyone on the team knows he’s earned it. So as a coach, Rivers has to reward Milton’s good play.

“I, for sure, feel confident in doing it,” Milton said of continuing to provide quality minutes. “I feel I can play anywhere in this league. I just need an opportunity to [show it].”

So what happens to Furkan Korkmaz?

He’s gone from the end of the bench to averaging 7.1 points in 18.2 minutes over the last seven games. The Sixers have used the swingman as a third ball handler behind Milton and De’Anthony Melton with Harden and Maxey out.

» READ MORE: Sixers star Joel Embiid excited for James Harden’s return from foot injury: ‘We need a lot of help’

One has to assume that his extended playing time will most likely come to an end.

But for Milton, this opportunity could benefit him beyond this season. The same can be said about the Sixers.

His stellar play has increased his trade value. The Sixers could include him in a package to upgrade the roster, if need be. Milton, who’s in the final year of his contract, also will be a sort-after free agent in July if he continues to play at a high level.

But for now, he’s established himself as another well-needed solid backcourt option for the Sixers.

“All you can really ask for is an opportunity to get out there and play,” Milton said.