Sixers Guard Shake Milton Garners Praise From Dwight Howard
Late last season, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers guard Shake Milton emerged as a young standout. As the Sixers dealt with a handful of injuries, the team had no choice but to roll the dice to start Milton and give the second-year guard some notable minutes.
As it turned out, Milton belonged on the floor whether he was starting or not. As the 76ers returned to action down in the bubble last year, Milton found himself as the starting point guard even when Ben Simmons was healthy.
This year, Simmons might return to taking over primary ball-handling duties as Doc Rivers sees him as the team's "facilitator," which likely pushes Shake Milton out of the starting lineup. However, just because Milton isn't starting doesn't mean he won't have a significant role for the 2020-2021 76ers.
Rivers sees tons of potential in Shake Milton. And so does Milton's veteran teammate, Dwight Howard. Two weeks ago, when Howard joined the Sixers for the first time in his career, he didn't even know Shake Milton's name.
But the veteran quickly became familiar as he saw Milton as an immediate standout at Sixers camp this offseason. "Shake, I like him," said Dwight Howard, following one of the Sixers' first individual workouts. "I like his attitude, his demeanor on the court. He works extremely hard, so I'm looking forward to playing with him."
Last Sunday, the Sixers began practicing as an entire unit for the start of training camp. And after nearly a week's worth of practice, Howard couldn't help but single out the third-year guard once again as the first week of training camp wrapped up.
"Aw man, Shake has been doing an excellent job," Rivers said following practice on Friday. "He's really controlling the offense, so the blue team is getting us in our sets, making sure that we're running our sets properly."
While Milton's on-court play has been described as "amazing" by his head coach, Dwight Howard is also especially impressed with the young guard's leadership and composure on the floor.
"One thing you see sometimes with young point guards is, you know, a lot of frustration when plays don't go the right way," Howard explained. "But for him, he's on to the next play. He's getting us in the right spots; he's finding shooters, he's finding rollers. He's scoring when he has to, and he's playing under control."
Last spring, Milton's impressive stretch seemed like it could end up being a flash in a pan type of situation. While he wasn't as explosive and productive down in the bubble, Milton still proved he belonged on the floor and is deserving of a key role in the Sixers' rotation.
This offseason, Rivers planned to give the young guard a shot to maintain his spot as a regular in the rotation. So far, it seems Milton is earning his stripes not only with the head coach but with his veteran teammates as well.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_