Where is Shake Milton at With His Injury?

Shake Milton's solid 2021-2022 NBA season has been overshadowed by injuries and setbacks. During the offseason, Milton rolled his ankle as the regular season

Shake Milton's solid 2021-2022 NBA season has been overshadowed by injuries and setbacks. During the offseason, Milton rolled his ankle as the regular season approached. As he nursed his lower-body setback, Milton missed the first four games of the Sixers' season. 

When he finally made his season debut, Milton appeared in 25 of Philadelphia's next 26 games. But then Milton dealt with another setback as he was entered into the NBA's health and safety protocol after testing positive for COVID-19.

The backup point guard went on to miss four-straight games due to COVID. He eventually returned to the lineup on December 30 and played in two games before suffering another setback.

This time, Milton took a hard fall and suffered a back contusion. After leaving the January 3 matchup against the Houston Rockets early, Milton hasn't seen the court since. He's missed nine-straight games and will likely miss his tenth-straight when the Sixers face the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night.

What's the Latest on Milton?

As the Sixers geared up for a matchup against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, the team ruled Milton out early as expected. However, the young guard addressed the media for the first time since suffering his injury.

"Once I got hit, my back had a combination of spasms and just tightness, locking up," Milton explained. "I'm just doing treatment, acupuncture, massage therapy, all kinds of stuff. I'm moving better, and I'm finally able to get on the court a little bit and move around. It's been feeling better for sure. I've never really had this happen before, so I'm just kind of taking it one day at a time. I want to play basketball. I miss it, so as soon as I can get back out there, I will."

Milton added that he's been getting shots up for the last few days and doing some dribbling and movement stuff. However, he's still got a ways to go before he's cleared to return to the court with his teammates.

"I can still beat him [in a race], which is not good, obviously," said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers on Wednesday night. "I mean, it's his back -- that whole thing from the fall. Hopefully, it'll release at some point and give him some comfort because I don't think he's very comfortable right now."

The veteran guard mentioned that he has a goal to return by a set date he has in his head. Knowing that could definitely change, Milton was hesitant to share what he believes. Regardless of when that date is, Milton made it known that he's "better for sure" at this point in his recovery.

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