Philadelphia 76ers: Zhaire Smith, Shake Milton aren’t playoff options
The Philadelphia 76ers won’t deploy their 2019 draft picks in the postseason, and that’s okay.
All season, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ primary weakness has bene the bench. Even after upgrades at the trade deadline, questions remain about whether or not the bench can sustain itself in the postseason.
Mike Scott, James Ennis and T.J. McConnell are locked into the playoff rotation, while Boban Marjanovic could see spare minutes in certain matchups. The Sixers will not, however, play Shake Milton and Zhaire Smith. That’s not really a problem.
After a successful G-League campaign, Shake Milton exploded in the Sixers’ loss to Orlando on Monday, notching 13 points in 21 minutes. It was an impressive performance in James Ennis’ absence, establishing his theoretical value in the Sixers’ rotation.
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Milton provides value, but one simply can’t expect him to get postseason playing time. Like, it literally can’t happen.
Unless the Sixers haphazardly clear a roster spot and covert Milton’s contract to a standard NBA deal, he won’t be able to suit up in the postseason on a two-way contract. Some would argue the Sixers need his value now, but the front office is taking the long-term approach — as they should.
In keeping Milton on his two-way contract until next season, the Sixers can keep the 22-year-old under team control for an extra season, at least. It’s also worth nothing that T.J. McConnell might leave in free agency, officially opening the backup point guard spot for Shake.
The Sixers could use Milton, but he’s both young and ineligible. That’s a bad combination when it comes to playing postseason basketball.
Smith, on the other hand, is perfectly eligible. He’s on a standard rookie contract and free to play. He, too, helps the Sixers in theory. His athleticism, point of attack defense and off-ball cutting are all desirable traits.
It’s important to remember where Smith is coming from, though. He spent most of the season recovering from a serious foot injury and health issues that left him hospitalized. It wasn’t until recently that he made his G-League debut with Delaware.
While Smith hit his first career three-point attempt in garbage time against Orlando, there’s reason to believe he’s ill-prepared for legitimate NBA minutes. He was always considered a project and a serious setback didn’t help.
The Sixers can get more reliable shooting from Ennis. Weaknesses aside, the Sixers need someone to handle the ball in the second unit. Unless Brown staggers Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler for the entire game, T.J. McConnell will need some minutes by default. Mike Scott will also get prominent minutes.
Smith putting in work during the playoffs would be a cool storyline, but it’s borderline unfeasible. He’s too raw offensively and too inexperienced to get into a groove and benefit the Sixers on such a high-pressure stage.
Next. 2019 NBA Draft Big Board 4.0. dark
Project your expectations for Milton and Smith onto next season.