Sixers' Daryl Morey is Excited to see What Shake Milton has to Offer This year
When he was drafted and traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018 NBA Draft, Shake Milton found himself signed on a two-way deal with the Sixers. Although he managed to see the court for 20 games during his rookie season, Milton spent most of his time playing with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League.
Year two was a different story. At first, Shake Milton struggled early on in the year during the 2019-2020 season. Then, an injury held him back for a bit, and eventually, Milton found himself left out of the Sixers' rotation.
But at a certain point into the season, former Sixers head coach Brett Brown had no choice but to go back to utilizing Milton as injuries affected Philly's rotations. When Milton got a second chance last season -- he never looked back.
In February of 2020, Milton averaged 22 minutes-per-game and was putting up just under ten points-per-game while shooting 51-percent from three. When March rolled around, he exploded by averaging 19 points-per-game, with a standout 39-point performance against Doc Rivers' former team, the Los Angeles Clippers.
While the COVID-19 pandemic halted Milton's hot streak, the 24-year-old shooting guard earned the starting point guard position when the Sixers returned to close out the 2019-2020 season down in the bubble. While it's unlikely Milton remains a starter for next season, his new coach and President of Basketball Ops still think highly of him and are excited to see what he has to offer in year three.
"I think the league hasn't caught up to how good Shake can be," Daryl Morey said during an AMA session on Reddit this week. "It was one of the first things Doc and I spoke about after I joined. We are excited to see what he can do this year."
It's unclear if Milton will play the point or shooting guard this year. Regardless of which position Doc Rivers asks him to play, the former SMU guard will likely earn some notable minutes in the rotation.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
