ORLANDO, Fla. – Once the Nets traded away Dennis Schroder, point guard would become a problem.

Or at least a potential one.

Shake Milton wants to prove that he can be part of the solution.

Schroder was not only Brooklyn’s emotional leader and ball pressure, but also its general.

Ben Simmons took on the latter role, but after all or most of his previous three seasons were wiped out by back problems, injuries and missed games are a foregone conclusion.

He still hasn’t played in back-to-back games and missed Friday’s loss to San Antonio.

Keon Johnson is an outside guard tasked with serving as a perimeter defender.

Newly acquired two-way actor Reece Beekman was no longer able to make it to the stage for clean-up performances.

And ball-dominant top scorer Cam Thomas is still injured.

But with Simmons out, Milton got his first Nets start and responded with 16 points, a season-high 12 assists and just one turnover in 34 minutes against San Antonio.

It was a performance that suggests to coach Jordi Fernandez that whenever Simmons comes off the floor, Milton should be the one he trusts with the ball — starting with Sunday’s game against the Magic.

“He was good,” Fernandez said of Milton. “And then you look at his line of 5 of 9, 16 points and 12 assists. So, you know, pretty good.

“The most important thing is 12 assists with a turnover. So really impressed because he plays a little bit out of position. He feels more comfortable when I play him without the ball and then I can carry out actions for him. I tell him to pick up the ball, bring it up and then try to score and organize everyone. And he does a great job.”

It was Milton’s fourth career double-double and first since April 2023 with Philadelphia.

More importantly, after posting just his second 20-point performance of the season on Thursday night in Milwaukee, Milton posted the second-most assists ever by a Net in his first start with the team.

The only player to exceed his 12? James Harden with his 14 on January 16, 2021 against the Magic.

“I felt good. “It’s not an easy task to do what the team sometimes asks you to do, like lift 94 (feet) and then handle the rock and try to get guys to the right spot,” Milton said. “But everyone is selfless. Everyone plays a role. So just try to step up and help the team as much as I can.”

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Navigating isn’t entirely new for Milton, but playing the point over longer distances is something he hasn’t done much recently.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Milton didn’t play point at all for the Knicks last season, playing just six percent of his minutes in Detroit.

But he was on the ball on 53 percent of his possessions in Brooklyn. And his recent play suggests that if Simmons sits — or misses altogether — Simmons could be the replacement Brooklyn needs.

“I think that’s the key to success,” Milton said. “I feel comfortable playing with or without the ball. I feel like I’ve done that since I’ve been in the league, so it’s not really for me or a change. And a lot of times you don’t even have to think about it because when you’re aggressive, the game on the field tells you what to do, whether it’s firing a shot or trying to kick.”

“And a lot of times I don’t even feel like my assists are there because I really need to get so much done that when I needed to get rid of the ball I just go and teammates did a good job of knocking down shots. That makes my work easier.”

Since Schroder’s departure, Brooklyn has a net rating of minus-1.0 when Simmons is on the floor, but sees a dip to minus-16.7 whenever he sits.

Sometimes he needs to rest, and honestly, Simmons missing games is a foregone conclusion.

They’ve struggled to find replacements at point guard, but Milton is getting used to the role.