Grading every Sixers player: Shake Milton // C+
Shake Milton’s role decreased due to Tyrese Maxey’s ascent (and the eventual arrival of James Harden), which made it easier to paper over some of his flaws. In general, he was much better than last season. He improved as a decision-maker and as a passer. He was more solid. After being mostly unplayable late last season, he was the Sixers’ best reserve in the 2022 playoffs. That speaks to larger flaws in roster construction, but also to Milton’s strong bounce-back campaign.
The Sixers still need Milton’s skill set. His ability to hit open 3s and beat closeouts is valuable when you consider the stars he plays with (though you would like him to hit a shade more than 32.3 percent of his 3s). Milton started slow and finished strong, though. Not long ago, he was a 40 percent 3-point shooter. There’s reason for optimism on that front.
Milton is also one of the few Sixers outside the ‘Core Four’ — heck, maybe the only Sixer outside the ‘Core Four’ — who can create his own offense in the halfcourt. Sometimes you need guys to beat good defense with tough shots. Milton can do that. He was also the only player who showed consistent fight in the Sixers’ embarrassing Game 6 loss to Miami. That’s one game, but he deserves some real credit for showing up when his teammates didn’t.
Hopefully next season Milton can get fully back to his pre-2021 form. If the 3s really start falling he’s going to be extremely important behind Harden and Maxey in the backcourt. He’s also one of the few passable defenders in the supporting cast. That 7-foot wingspan is useful.