Philadelphia 76ers: A closer look at Shake Milton’s emergence

Injuries forced the Philadelphia 76ers to turn to Shake Milton, but the second-year guard is responding with production nobody could have predicted.

When Ben Simmons exited a Feb. 22 game against the Milwaukee Bucks early, the Philadelphia 76ers turned to Shake Milton for some form of help.

The options were slim and the damage had already been done. To his credit, Milton stepped up to the challenge, scoring 17 points with five 3-pointers in what was ultimately a 21-point beatdown by the league’s top team.

Milton was a serviceable replacement, the type who could actually benefit the Philadelphia 76ers as a much-needed floor spacer for Joel Embiid. That was until the All-Star big man suffered an ailment of his own not eight minutes into Philly’s matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers two games later.

In less than one week, the former 54th overall pick had gone from up-and-coming rotation piece to complimentary starter to one of Philly’s main projected sources of offense.

It’s the type of change that invokes the old NBA sentiment of making sure your ready when the time comes. Up to this point, Milton has looked the part over his last six games, averaging 20.7 points to go with 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals a night.

And while the Sixers might not be winning much, the emergence of a former benchwarmer has certainly been a reason to tune in.

In the absence of their two All-Stars, the 76ers have more or less allowed Milton the freedom to do as he pleases at the offensive end.

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Compared to his regular-season averages, Milton has more than doubled his touches per game and increased the length in which he holds and dribbles the ball when it comes to him.

Long-distance shooting has long been a strength of Milton’s dating back to his three years at SMU where he shot 42.7 percent on 445 attempts.

With just 31 games under his belt, Milton doesn’t officially qualify for the 3-point leaderboard. If he did, though, his 46.1 3-point percentage would rank No. 1 in the NBA among players with at least 3.0 attempts per game.

An increase in volume usually results in an efficiency dip for some, but not Milton. On 5.7 attempts per game during this stretch, he’s shooting a scorching 64.7 percent from downtown and 60.8 percent overall.

Against the LA Clippers, he dropped 39 points with seven triples, a statistical threshold no other player in Sixers’ history has matched, turning what should’ve been a blowout into a nationally televised coming-out party.

Of course, the entirety of Philly’s offense doesn’t run solely through Milton, not without the presence of Tobias Harris. When Milton goes off the ball, however, he’s been just as potent, shooting 61.5 percent on 4.3 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers per game.

For all his unexpected offense, the Sixers are still just 2-4 during his breakout. After all, there’s no true replacement for the caliber of players like Simmons and Embiid no matter how well Milton shoots the ball.

He can only move the needle so much on his own, but Philly has been in desperate need of whatever shooting it can find, ranking 19th in 3-point makes and 22nd in attempts.

When just one of Philly’s dynamic duo returns — whenever that is — Milton will likely return to a bench role that’s seen plenty of ups and downs.

The move, however, won’t come without its benefits. He’ll have a level of confidence that could only come from the newfound experiences he didn’t previously possess and a legitimate role with one of the worst second-units in the league.

And if those outings are any indication, Milton will be ready when his name is called with more consistency.