Doc Rivers, Dwight Howard have high praise for Sixers guard Shake Milton
The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to move forward following a disappointing 2019-20 season where they will be looking to move on from a tough season. The Sixers added some shooting around their stars, but there is one young player from the previous season who is catching some attention.
That guy would be Shake Milton who had a breakout season in his second year in the league and he took more responsibility as the season wore on. Milton shot 43.0% from deep and averaged 9.4 points per game.
In his third season under new coach Doc Rivers, he expects to take on more of a super-sub role on the team. With the team preparing for the season in training camp, he has shown something new to Rivers that he did not see in the past.
“Shake’s been amazing,” Rivers beamed. “He’s faster than I thought. It’s funny, he had a big game against us, but most of that was jump shooting. When I was with the Clippers, he made a bunch of jump shots. I didn’t see his ability to get to the rack and make plays.”
Rivers, of course, is referring to Milton dropping 39 against the Los Angeles Clippers way back on March 1 on the road at Staples Center. Milton drilled seven shots from deep that day so the fact that he was able to get to the rim a little bit surprised Rivers in practice.
On the flip side, he is also showing off an ability to play point guard. Veteran big man Dwight Howard has been impressed with the 24-year old’s ability to play under control for the bench unit.
“Shake has been doing an excellent job,” said Howard. “He’s really controlling the offense on the blue team, he’s getting us in our sets, making sure that we’re running out sets properly. One thing you see sometimes out of young point guards is a lot of frustration when plays don’t go the right way, but for him, he’s on to the next play, he’s getting us in our right spots. He’s finding the shooters, he’s finding the rollers, he’s scoring when he has to, and he’s under control.”
Down on the other end, he has had to defend superstar Ben Simmons in practice and he is holding his own which is no easy feat considering how explosive and aggressive he is as a player.
“On the defensive end, him playing against a bigger guard like Ben Simmons is really helping him,” Howard added. “He’s pushing Ben, he’s up and into him on the defensive end, and he’s doing a great job.”
It is clear that Milton will play a big role on this team. If training camp is any indication, it does appear that he is ready for this new role moving forward.
