Doc Rivers Assesses 76ers' PG Battle Between Milton, Maxey

When the Philadelphia 76ers opened up the 2021 NBA preseason, Tyrese Maxey ran with the starters at the point guard position in the absence of Ben Simmons. Following the game, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers noted that Maxey was a work in progress.

The second-year guard came off the bench the following game while Shake Milton was inserted into the starting lineup. Not only did Milton bounce back in the eyes of Rivers compared to his first outing, but so did Maxey.

After the preseason rematch against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night, Rivers confirmed Maxey and Milton were in a position battle for the starting point guard spot. "We were just looking at different guys," Rivers explained. "I thought (Shake Milton) played well. I thought he settled down because he struggled early and then started playing really well. So, yeah, I mean, it's a competition."

Since Thursday, the Sixers haven't hit the court for another preseason matchup against another team, but they did participate in an open scrimmage at their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats' facility at the Chase Fieldhouse on Saturday.

That's when Doc Rivers discussed the state of the current position battle, offering up his in-depth assessment after getting several looks at the young guards on film over the last few days.

"Shake probably spaces the floor better with his shot," said Doc Rivers. "Maxey gives us the speed, though. Both are learning how to be playmakers and run the team. Shake definitely is ahead of Maxey defensively."

If Milton's ahead of Maxey defensively, then the second-year guard out of Kentucky likely isn't too far behind in that department. While Maxey certainly has room for improvement on both ends of the ball, he showed strides in his defensive development throughout the 2020-2021 season.

"They both are pressuring the ball, which I'm very happy with," Rivers continued. "It's funny; I knew Maxey could do it. I didn't know Shake could do it, and he's done it almost more. That's something that we didn't know Shake could do, honestly, and he's doing it."

Although Rivers won't crown a winner after two of the four preseason games, but it sure sounds like Milton might have the upper hand in the battle for the starting point guard position. If Rivers' starting lineup trend continues, then Maxey will likely get another crack at starting in Monday night's game versus the Brooklyn Nets.

If the second-year guard shows signs of struggling in the starting lineup again, it might convince Doc Rivers that the former 21st overall pick is best suited to come off the bench and become Philly's spark during the regular season. If he flashes just as he did in the second preseason outing, then the final preseason game against Detroit will apply more pressure on Rivers as the regular season approaches.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.