Philadelphia 76ers: Will Shake Milton be x-factor moving forward?
I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t given Shake Milton the best reviews on The Sixer Sense Podcast‘s more recent episodes. Based on his lack of production near the end of the season and in the first round series against the Washington Wizards, it’s not surprising that Philadelphia 76ers‘ head coach Doc Rivers used him sparingly until the third quarter of Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks.
Milton hit two big 3-pointers at the end of the third quarter and he was a big reason the Sixers won in blowout fashion. He ended with 14 points, three rounds, and one assist, while converting 5-8 from the field and 4-5 from the 3-point line. The question has become, was this a one-time spurt from Milton or can he become an x-factor for the Sixers in this series?
Will Milton become an x-factor for the Philadelphia 76ers in this series?
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When Milton plays at his peak, he can be the sixth man for most NBA teams. However, this season as a whole he hasn’t played near his peak. This year, the third year guard averaged 13.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, while making 35.0 percent of his 3-pointers. Considering that last season he shot 43.0 percent from downtown, this was a down year for the combo guard.
Milton has the skill to be an x-factor and his coach has more than enough confidence to take a chance on him even when he had been cold. On top of that, Game 2 should give him the confidence to be a big shot taker and taker moving forward. However, only time will tell if Milton will take this opportunity for more minutes in this series.
The Philadelphia 76ers will need Milton to be an x-factor if they want to make sure they are the favorites in this matchup against the Hawks.
Next. Cassell and Joerger should be on the Celtics radar. dark