Sixers: Where does Shake Milton fit?

The focus so far this summer for our beloved 76ers has been all about the guards. What in the world is happening with Ben Simmons? If he is traded for a star guard, how will that change the look of this team? Will rookie Jaden Springer be ready to contribute this season? How do Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe and the Summer Sixers look? (Pretty good so far!)

Forgotten in all of the excitement is Shake Milton, everyone’s darkhorse favorite to break out last season and contend for sixth man of the year. Of course, that never panned out, which leaves us with the burning question, where does Shake Milton fit on the Sixers this year?

He flashed his skills in the G-League his rookie season, dominating lesser talent, but his explosion onto the NBA radar came in his second season. When team injuries and opportunity led Brett Brown to call his name more often, Shake responded. Consistent scoring off the bench, a few particularly impressive starts, and that unforgettable game against the Clippers where he carried the team on his skinny shoulders led many to believe that last season would be the year he became a household name. But ,for a variety of reasons, things did not go as expected for Milton.

Doc Rivers came in as Brown’s replacement and immediately declared that Shake would be his sixth man, even comparing him with microwave guards and former sixth man of the year winners Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford. The way that Rivers said he planned to use him matched perfectly with what fans and media had hoped for Milton, and as the year began, all eyes were on him to lead the reserves. But those wonderful herky-jerk moves and that previously smooth, dependable 3-point shooting stroke seemed to come and go, often disappearing when it was needed the most. By the end of the season, he was behind both Tyrese Maxey at the point and Furkan Korkmaz at the two guard off the bench, and his confidence had suffered a serious gut punch.

Which begs the question, was he simply a one-year wonder, or can he bounce back to be the flamethrower off the bench that this team needs? It can be difficult to read Milton and no one will know for certain until the real games start again in the fall, but there are several important factors to consider.

After struggling in his third NBA season, what does the future hold for Shake Milton with the Sixers?

First, Shake Milton is not a point guard. At best, he is a combo guard who can run the offense for very short stretches in a pinch, but he is at his best when he can keep his focus on scoring and not setting up his teammates. If the organization really believed in him as a one, they would have never traded for George Hill last year, and frankly the team needed Tony Bradley more than Hill in the playoffs. That move was made because they did not think Maxey was ready and they did not believe in Shake Milton as a point guard. It is enough for Milton to be a shooting guard who is also a nice passer.

Second, why did his offense appear to take such a big step back last year? The short answer is that he was never used properly. Doc’s silly insistence upon running “hockey” lineups and keeping much of his bench and starting unit separate was detrimental for most of the players on the bench, none more than Shake. When he was played in lineups with Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and Simmons, he was still a scorching shooter, and those numbers only dropped off a little bit in lineups with just Embiid and Simmons. However, his numbers take a drop off a cliff when he played with entire reserve units and improve from “bad” to merely “not good” when Harris played with Milton and three other reserves.

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This sounds like a problem, right? If his role is to be the scorer off the bench, then he should be able to thrive without any starters to take away his looks. But it’s not that simple. NBA defenses are built to take away your strengths. If the lineup is Maxey, a rookie who typically gave the ball up at the top of the key or drove to the basket, Korkmaz, a standstill shooter who needs someone to create and get him the ball, with Howard and Thybulle, who were never scoring threats on their own, that puts all of the pressure squarely on Shake. That lineup does not move well without the ball, has two non-shooters, a rookie who was still developing his 3-point shot, and a known sniper who cannot create his own shot. That meant lots of trips down the floor when the offense was just Shake trying to get his own look against an entire defense that was ready for it. And just as often the shot clock would wind down and he would be thrown the ball with no other option but to force up contested shots. Very few scorers could perform well in that scenario.

Third, his fantastic 3-point shooting seemed to disappear last year. Was that just a fluke season? Again, he shot it extremely well in lineups with other scorers to keep the defenses honest. In those instances, he consistently kept his shoulders squared to the basket, properly set his feet and the stroke was pure. When he was obviously the only threat to create his own shot that form began to break down. With a defender in his face and the clock running down, the feet were rarely set, his shoulders would turn, and his follow through would consistently drop too soon. Combine that with minutes that grew oddly inconsistent as the year went on and you have a recipe for poor shooting.

The Shake Milton that is capable of scoring 18 points in a half or 10 straight off the bench is still here. But, in order to get the most out of him, a few things will have to happen. Doc Rivers is going to have to be more flexible with his rotations. Mixing his bench with his starters would benefit everyone (no more full line switches, please). Next, Shake will have to be given a consistent role as a bench scorer with more threats around him. No more wild fluctuations in minutes. And most importantly, Milton will have to continue to work hard on the defensive end. Korkmaz made the jump from horrendous to so-so on D, it is time for Milton to do the same. Improvement on that end is crucial if he wants to stay ahead of guys like Springer and Korkmaz.

This is a make or break year for Shake. He makes less than two million dollars a year, which is terrific for a team with so many excessive contracts. It also means if he wants his next contract to be memorable it is time to start playing like the bench star that many hoped he could be. Shake didn’t have an “off” year, he simply wasn’t put in a position to succeed. If he gets more opportunity to play with other scoring threats and takes the next step forward in improving his defense, he is more than capable of showing the league why he deserves to be in the discussion for sixth man of the year. All he needs is a fair “shake”.