Philadelphia 76ers: Shake Milton could be dark horse for rotation minutes

Could the Philadelphia 76ers’ second-round pick fight his way into the rotation?

There were plenty of potential steals in the 2018 NBA Draft. Michael Porter Jr. at 14. Lonnie Walker at 18. Robert Williams at 27. Mitchell Robinson at 36. And many more. But one name who isn’t included in that conversation enough is Shake Milton.

The Philadelphia 76ers nabbed Milton with the 54th pick, sending the 56th and 60th picks to Dallas in the process. Milton ranked in the top-40 on my board and was in the first-round discussion for many. Getting him midway through the 50s was a heist.

Injury concerns and an underwhelming pre-draft process seem to be the reasons behind Milton’s tumble. Given the nature of the second round, however, it’s odd that a player with his skill set and upside wasn’t picked earlier.

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Nonetheless, Brett Brown and the front office now sit comfortably with one of the best value picks in the draft. It also appears that Milton, who was recovering from a stress fracture in his back, will be healthy before the season starts.

The chances of Milton cracking the rotation are admittedly thin. He’s on a two-way contract, meaning the majority of his time could be spent in Delaware, where he’ll get consistent reps and developmental time.

But the current state of the Sixers’ bench could push Milton into the conversation before the season starts. Zhaire Smith is slated to miss considerable time with a Jones fracture, something that will almost certainly seep into the regular season.

With him out of the picture, Markelle Fultz and T.J. McConnell will be heavily leaned on in the backcourt. Fultz’s jumper is still up in the air, but neither profiles as an elite shooter. Wilson Chandler is the only other “wing” slated to get significant minutes, and his best position is the four.

Landry Shamet was picked higher than Milton and will probably have his shot at minutes. Furkan Korkmaz lit up Summer League and is a former first-round pick himself. The Sixers need perimeter depth, but Milton still faces an uphill battle when it comes to playing time.

Milton is capable of winning that uphill battle, though. He’s on Shamet’s level as a prospect and his defensive versatility is something the Sixers should covet. Milton also fills an extremely valuable role on offense.

At 6-foot-6, Milton’s 7-foot wingspan allows him to defend three positions. The Sixers lacked long, athletic bodies in the second unit last season, especially in the postseason. Milton can help solve some of the issues that doomed the Sixers against Boston.

On the offensive end, Milton has been one of college basketball’s most consistent three-point shooters over the past three seasons. He was a career 42.7 percent shooter from deep, never dropping below 42.3 in a single season.

He doesn’t have the same dynamism as Shamet when it comes to shooting off the dribble and off movement, but Milton is a quality spot-up shooter who is more than capable of spacing the floor next to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Milton can also function as a secondary ball-handler, running the pick-and-roll and giving the Sixers a much-needed ball-handling threat on the wing. One thing that hurt the Sixers last season was their lack of shot-creation and dribble penetration outside Embiid and Simmons.

With Fultz and McConnell presumably getting minutes as well, the Sixers will be able to surround their star players with a more dynamic supporting cast. That would be a big boost once the postseason rolls around.

In an NBA that necessitates versatility, Milton checks every box for the Sixers. There are definite warts in his game — he was the 54th pick — but the base skill set is undeniable. Milton could play some valuable minutes as the ninth or 10th guy in the rotation.

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There are several factors that might prevent that from happening, starting with Brett Brown’s potential unwillingness to play his two-way contract on a nightly basis. But, if afforded the opportunity, Milton has the ability to make some noise.