Philadelphia 76ers: 3 players who exceeded expectations in 2019-20

1. Shake Milton

The Sixers made clear the idea that Shake Milton was a part of their future when they signed him to a four-year contract this past summer. However, after a less-than-stellar showing in the summer league, and with veterans Raul Neto and Trey Burke ahead of him on the depth chart, Milton became confined to the G-League and received sporadic playing time with the Sixers.

Brett Brown even told the second-year guard out of SMU that he wouldn’t be a part of the rotation. However, after injuries to players ahead of him on the depth chart, Milton started seeing the floor more and has made the most out of his opportunity.

In 16 starts and 32 total games played this season, Milton is averaging 9.5 points while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor and over 45 percent from three. Of course, his performance against the Los Angeles Clippers on March 1, in which he scored 39 points on 70 percent shooting, dwarfs all of his other games.

Regardless, he’s shown an aptitude as a secondary ball-handler next to Simmons, and while his defense isn’t great, there’s reason to believe that the 6-foot-6 Milton, with his 6-foot-11 wingspan, can develop into a solid NBA defender.

Milton has provided solid play for the Sixers whenever they called his number this season and has shown that he can be a legitimate contributor for the Sixers in the future.