Written by: Justin DiVirgillio
Shake Milton is one of the longest-tenured players on the Sixers roster and he has seen his fair share of ups and downs. With that being said, this season the combo guard out of SMU has had way more ups this season than downs. Milton has dealt with his fair share of nagging ailments this season but once he has gotten back healthy he’s been a stable part of the Philadelphia 76ers’ rotation.
Milton has developed into a nice, complimentary ball handler. Reliable ball-handling from a bench player on the Sixers in the Joel Embiid era is rarified air. There haven’t been many but I digress. Milton was crucial to the Sixers’ supporting cast and helped the team stay afloat in December and January when James Harden and Tyrese Maxey were out with injuries on separate occasions. Milton was prepared to be the third guard as opposed to the fourth behind Harden, Maxey, and De’Anthony Melton.
Statistically, his numbers hold up. In 21.9 minutes per game, Milton is averaging 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on shooting splits of .495/.379/.845. The job that Milton has done this season has been extremely valuable. For two weeks, he helped push the team in a positive direction after a shaky start. Milton’s herky-jerky scoring game and long arms make him a reliable option to attack closeouts. I have been impressed with Milton’s progression, attitude, and his shooting finally returning. Shake has been mainly reliable and that’s all you can ask for when supporting a superstar like Joel Embiid.