Philadelphia 76ers: Shake Milton on track for big third season

The Philadelphia 76ers should continue letting Shake Milton cook.

Shake Milton has been the talk of training camp, with Doc Rivers heaping no shortage of praise on the 24-year-old point guard. Be it far from me to put significant stock in a preseason game, but the Philadelphia 76ers’ win over Boston on Tuesday only cemented the hype around Shake.

Last season, Milton overtook Al Horford’s spot in the starting five. Now he’s in charge of the second unit, apparently with more freedom than Brett Brown ever gave him. Rivers has hammered home Milton’s free-wheeling potential, and the Sixers are primed to benefit from his shot creation.

The former SMU star poured in 19 points in 23 minutes on Tuesday, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-6 from deep. While a large chunk of that production came against third-unit guards in the second half, his honey-sweet 3-point stroke and confident pull-up jumper are useful in any context.

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If the Celtics game was any indiction, Milton’s strong sophomore campaign was no fluke. He is Philadelphia’s sixth man — someone Rivers will clearly rely on. With a more spacious court and more pick-and-rolls, the Sixers are primed to get even more out of Milton this season. He was part of multiple lineups consisting of four shooters and a big on Tuesday, and Dwight Howard’s gravity as a lob threat is already paying dividends.

Doc Rivers has coached some of the best second-unit shot creators in basketball. While it’s pointless to draw comparisons to Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford, Rivers did give both of them immense freedom in second-unit lineups. The Sixers will clearly let Shake create his own offense, whether that means working the in-between game or launching 3s at a high volume.

Since the beginning of the Joel Embiid era, Philadelphia has lacked reliable shot creation in the halfcourt. Milton won’t start — at least not to begin the season — but as Rivers puts more emphasis on pace and the pick-and-roll, Milton’s ability to curl around screens, probe the middle of the floor, and create both for himself and for others will greatly benefit the Sixers.

Against Boston, Milton showcased not only a pristine deep ball — a hallmark of last season’s success — but great comfort operating in those pick-and-rolls. He has a nice package of step-backs and floaters, while his passing chops deserve more credit. He isn’t explosive off the dribble, but he changes speeds well, and in doing so keeps defenders off-balance.

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The preseason is seldom time for grand proclamations. However, when you consider the highlights of last season, the amount of confidence Doc Rivers has expressed, and the fact Milton will have such free reign over the second unit, it’s hard not to predict big things from the third-year guard.