Sixers' Mike Scott Isn't Surprised by Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey's Emergence
Shake Milton became a breakout star late last season for the Philadelphia 76ers. As he only got on the court because several key players were injured, Milton made it hard for former Sixers head coach Brett Brown to take him out since he made a name for himself with a short but successful stint before the NBA suspension.
A couple of weeks ago, many were curious as to whether Milton can remain consistent or not. In practice, Mike Scott saw that Shake Milton's emergence last season was no fluke. And another young guard stood out to the veteran forward as well.
Sixers 2020 first-round pick Tyrese Maxey got a late start to training camp this offseason. Typically, Maxey would have Summer League and several months to prepare for his debut season in the NBA, but this year is anything but typical for an NBA rookie.
Despite having minimal offseason experience, Maxey has lived up to his first-round hype so far in the eyes of Mike Scott. For a couple of weeks, Scott sensed a preseason breakout by Milton and Maxey, and this week, they both put it on display for all to see.
"Shake and Maxey have been playing hell of a games, man," Scott said after the Sixers' preseason finale in Indiana on Friday. "They're great in practice, so I'm not surprised [with] what they're doing in the games."
Although two preseason games are a small sample size, Maxey and Milton's performances cannot go unnoticed. Milton, who came off the bench for a little over 20 minutes in both games, has averaged 17 points-per-game this preseason. As for Maxey, he played in 12 minutes for the first game and roughly 17 minutes for the second and averaged just under 10 points-per-game in his first two NBA preseason games.
"They've been great," Scott said on Friday. "Shake has been great [with the] second group running the offense and doing what he does, scoring the ball, passing, and getting everyone involved. Maxey has been coming in and doing the same thing and sharing the ball. [The rookie has] been doing what he's supposed to be doing."
Scott and the Sixers saw the two young guards perform at a high level in practice over the last couple of weeks. Then, their progress translated well on the floor for the preseason. Now, Maxey and Milton are moving on to the next phase -- the regular season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
