Clippers' Lou Williams Respects 76ers Guard Shake Milton's Game vs. Heat
Los Angeles Clippers veteran guard Lou Williams has seen first-hand just how great Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton can be. Last season, as the Sixers were shorthanded without their two All-Stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, they relied heavily on Milton to be the breakout star.
He didn't disappoint. Back in March of 2020, Milton was averaging just under 20 points-per-game while shooting 51-percent from three. Although his hot streak began a month before, Milton's performance against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center put him on the map.
While facing Williams, Doc Rivers, and the Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers, Milton put on a career-high 39-point performance. Ever since that afternoon on March 1st, the Sixers knew they had a rising star on their hands. Fast forward a little under a year later, and Rivers is coaching the Sixers, where he was excited to have the chance to be a part of Milton's growth for the future.
Unlike Brett Brown, though, Rivers doesn't want to utilize Milton in the starting lineup. Instead, Rivers sees a possible Sixth-Man of the Year in the former SMU standout. And apparently, Rivers' former top Sixth-Man has his eyes on Milton as well.
On Thursday night, the Sixers hosted the Miami Heat once again after defeating them on Tuesday. However, Shake Milton hasn't been a part of the Sixers' progress for the last week since he was traced to Seth Curry's positive COVID-19 test.
After being forced into self-isolation and told he couldn't play for the last three games, Milton finally returned on Thursday. Although the Sixers were still down a starter with Curry out, Rivers didn't want to roll Milton out in the starting lineup this time. Instead, he had Milton resume his role off the bench, which paid off big time.
In 27 minutes of action, Milton drained 11 of his 15 shots from the field. As a plus-24 on the court, Milton accounted for 31 of the Sixers' 125 points -- putting up the game-high. Along with his 30-plus point performance, Milton also collected seven assists, two rebounds, two steals, and blocked a shot on defense.
Although strong performances off the bench for Milton are the new norm with Rivers as the head coach, it doesn't mean the third-year guard isn't constantly impressive. Oftentimes, Milton's progress in a single game might get overshadowed by one of his All-Star peers, such as Joel Embiid or Ben Simmons, but the emerging sixth-man makes it difficult to forget his ever-growing progress.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
