Philadelphia 76ers need Shake Milton
When most people think of the Philadelphia 76ers, Shake Milton is hardly the first person that comes to mind. However, the veteran guard has become a crucial part of Doc Rivers’ squad despite the fact he doesn’t always have a set role. Whether coming off the bench or starting a game, Milton continues to provide the 76ers with important minutes that have helped fill the void when needed.
While Milton was originally drafted in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, the 26-year-old has spent his entire professional basketball career with the 76ers in Philadelphia after they traded the rights to the 56th and 60th picks in the 2018 NBA Draft for him.
The most games Milton ever started in a season for the 76ers is just 24 and that was back during the 2019-2020 campaign, but the guard has proven his value to the club numerous times over. He is currently averaging 11.6 points in 24 minutes per game, which has been a huge help for Rivers.
“He’s been great,” Rivers said earlier this week, via SI.com. “He’s still comfortable, you know? I love a couple of plays this game and the last game. He’s not waiting for guys. In the past, he would get it and wait for James and wait for Joel. Now, we’re throwing it up to him. We’re saying, ‘Go… Go attack.’ He did that three or four times. Shake’s a monster in the open court, and we want him to stay in the open court.”
For his part, Milton doesn’t mind whether he starts or comes off the bench if he can make a positive impact for his club.
“It’s cool,” Milton said when asked how he felt about coming off the bench again. “I just got to continue to try to find ways to be productive. Guys are unselfish, and everybody is focused on just making the right play and winning. So, it becomes kind of simple.”
Milton impressed when he was thrusted into a starter’s role when Tyrese Maxey and James Harden went down injured. Averaging 38 minutes per game during that time, Milton put up 21 points and six assists which certainly helped ease the pressure of losing two important starters.
“I think we have our moments when it kind of slows down, but I think, for the most part, we’ve done a pretty good job of playing with pace,” Milton continued. “Really, it’s just getting the ball up within the first five seconds of the shot clock. We like to play fast. I feel like when we play with pace, it kind of opens up everything up for us.”
The 76ers find themselves in a similar spot in the Eastern Conference standings as they did last season, battling it out for home court advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. While last year they finished fourth in the conference with a 51-31 record, they currently sit fifth in the East with a 15-12 record. The real question for the 76ers though is whether they will be able to get it done in the playoffs after being eliminated in the second round for the fourth time in five years. They haven’t made it past the second round since they were knocked off by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals.
