Philadelphia 76ers 2020 New Year’s Resolutions

Shake Milton

By: Christopher Kline

My favorite Sixers pun is also a statement of truth. Shake Milton needs more ‘shake’ in his game. In broad strokes, Milton occupies a valuable niche for Philadelphia — a two-way guard who can defend across the perimeter, shoot 3s, and playmake effectively.

Milton’s foremost problem is ball-handling — or, more specifically, his lack of wiggle in live-dribble situations. He simply struggles to break down defenders and create space in isolation, which limits his productivity as a primary or secondary creator for the Sixers.

The Sixers need players with Milton’s skill set. Someone with his combination of defense, spot-up shooting, and court vision shouldn’t have an issue finding NBA minutes. It’s simply a matter of becoming less stiff and tightening his handles.

If Milton becomes more comfortable as a ball-handler — in pick-and-rolls, in ISO’s, in the open court — he just might have a spot in Brett Brown’s 10-man rotation. He almost stuck in the rotation earlier this season. He has one more leap to make.