Section 215
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: Shake Milton’s offseason hype was well deserved

By Matty Breisch

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers can ‘shake’ off any trade rumors about one young guard.

After Shake Milton lit up the Indiana Pacers for 15 points in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ preseason debut, some fans, outside observers, and Houston Rockets imposters crafted a uniquely online narrative that frankly made little sense then and even less now: Could Shake Milton be the key to acquiring James Harden?

Now I’m not suggesting the chatter was prevalent or particularly loud – though it was loud enough to draw my attention – but the idea that the Sixers would trade Milton, arguably the most hyped-up player by the team’s brass during the offseason, for Harden in addition to the other assets needed to get a deal done was frankly jaw-dropping.

The man averages 17 points and four assists on a 3 point shooting percentage of 45.5 and you want to ship him out before the regular season even opens up? That’s a… take.

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Fortunately, Daryl Morey‘s back didn’t buckle to the pressure of a few internet suggestions, and the third-year guard out of SMU was heavily featured in the Sixers’ gameplan against the Washington Wizards. Though he was (purposefully and predictably) excluded from the starting lineup to provide a little extra pop coming off the bench Lou Williams-style, Milton was the first player rotated into the game off Doc Rivers‘ bench in place of Danny Green and came exactly as advertised.

In 30 minutes of action, the fifth-highest mark on the team behind the starters sans Green, Milton provided more than just a spark to the Sixers’ offense – he torched the Westbrook Wizards for 19 points and three steals while knocking down 5-7 shots from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc. Now tasked with playing off-ball guard predominantly next to a primary ball-handler like Ben Simmons and rookie revelation Tyrese Maxey, Milton moved effortlessly around the court, generated his own shot when needed, and knocked down some daggers when on the right end of a fantastic facilitation.

To make matters all the more impressive, when the game came down to a back-and-forth slugfest down double digits at the top of the fourth, Milton took on an on-ball, dare I say Jimmy Butler-esque closer role for the final 12 minutes of action. Though his contributions weren’t quite as eye-popping as those of Joel Embiid, as ‘The Processed One’ put up 15 of the team’s final 40 points in a truly dominant show of force in the paint, Milton was still responsible for getting the team in and out of their offense and running the show as the team’s floor general.

Just how much confidence does Rivers have in Milton? Well, when the team needed to lock all windows and doors to close out the contest once and for all where was Simmons? Oh yea, that’s right, playing off ball in the dunker spot.

Somewhere, on a sandy New Hampshire and/or Australian beach, Brett Brown is screaming into the void.

While the Sixers’ offense is still a work in progress, as their starting five worked together about as well as a sugar-free Wendy’s Frosty, the team should keep their game plan with Milton completely unchanged, as they’d all but surely be 0-1 to start out the season if it wasn’t for his impressive opening night outing.

And the best part? The team has 71 more games to play.

Next. The work-in-progress reinvention of Joel Embiid. dark

In summation, I don’t want to hear another word about Shake Milton to the Houston Rockets for James Harden unless it’s coming off the million-dollar fingers of one Adrian Wojnarowski. Despite his laughable draft positioning, his vet minimum contract, and his less-than-league-wide name recognition, Milton very well may be the Philadelphia 76ers’ third-best player and should be considered untouchable for the foreseeable future.