Philadelphia 76ers: Would Shake Milton benefit from a change of scenery?

For the second year in a row, Shake Milton is a double-digit scorer for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Though his efficiency statistics are down ever so slightly from the season prior – which is saying something, considering his efficiency dropped considerably from 2019-20 to 2020-21- Milton has looked good as a driver, found success in the midrange well above the league-average, and, most importantly of all, has recorded four games with five or more assists.

And yet, those numbers don’t tell the whole story. No, whether you look at win share, box plus-minus, his assist ratio, or the ever polarizing wins above replacement, Milton is a woefully average player who looks better on paper than in practice due to his vast volume of shot attempts per game. If, say, Georges Niang took the same number of shots per game, he too would be a double-digit scorer and would average even more points per game because he’s more efficient.

Therein lies the problem with Milton; he’s can score in bunches and is unbothered by a few missed shots, but his at times head-scratching defense, mediocre passing, and undisciplined shot selection makes many a fan just as anxious to see number 18 take the court as they are excited for his ability to spark a bench bonfire.

At 25, Milton still has room to grow, especially since he still has a year and a half left on a very team-friendly contract, but eventually, one has to wonder if there’s a legitimate role for the former SMU star on a playoff team that values consistent bench performers over manic change-of-pace upside. Which brings us to the question at hand: Should Shake Milton be part of the Philadelphia 76ers’ future?

Should the Philadelphia 76ers consider trading Shake Milton this season?

Imagine, if you will, Shake Milton as a member of a team with a losing record like, say, the OKC Thunder. He could start at the two next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, play 34-ish minutes of action a night, and thrive off of being beneficiary of some choice passes instead of being tasked with running the second unit solo.

That sounds nice, right? The pressure to score more points than he surrenders would be gone, and in its place, Milton would be afforded an opportunity to play a looser brand of basketball where he can feel things out in a lower pressure scenario.

How about a situation like that of the Houston Rockets, who still have some veteran guards like D.J. Augustin and Eric Gordon but have almost entirely turned their attention to developing younger guards like Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green? While Milton hasn’t been an ideal offensive facilitator and still gets tunnel vision at times when the ball is in his hands, maybe returning to his adoptive state to play alongside two other supremely talented offensive guards could help to jumpstart his passing and grow into a more well-rounded offensive weapon.

And what about the Detroit Pistons, who are averaging the fewest points of any team in the NBA? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind getting Milton in place as a developmental combo guard paired up with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey.

Granted, none of those teams necessarily have a package tailor-made to acquire Milton, as even their most logical trade partner, Houston, would at best only be able to exchange a player like Danuel House – a Daryl Morey favorite- in a deal, but that doesn’t mean Milton couldn’t be a valuable chip in a potential package, especially alongside Ben Simmons for a superstar.

If you’re a young team looking to build out a long-term contender a few years down the line, Milton really is a good player to have under contract.

The Philadelphia 76ers, by contrast, are not in that position, not anymore, anyway.

No, with Joel Embiid in the middle of his prime and a potential trade looming that could wipe away a ton of draft capital depending on how the situation breaks, the Sixers are not the sort of team who can give Milton 32 minutes of action in the hopes that he’ll get a percentage or two better with each passing game.

In Portland, for example, Furkan Korkmaz was running the second unit during their final stretch of the game despite having failed to score a point through the first three-quarters. Why? Because Milton’s shot similarly wasn’t falling and in a weird twist of fate, Korkmaz proved to be the better two-way option of the duo, which is rather telling, considering the latter isn’t exactly the second coming of Matisse Thybulle.

As though as it is to admit, the Sixers just can’t have their backup point effectively benched in a very winnable game to have a score-less winger moonlight as a lead guard. Tyrese Maxey can’t continue to average 37.8 minutes per game – his average over the month of November – because the team lacks a backup option who can run the show solo for more than 10.2 minutes a night.

Can a team win games with Shake Milton on their roster? Yes. Can a team win games with Shake Milton in their rotation? Yes. But can a team win games with Shake Milton as their second-string point guard, especially with a 21-year-old running the show in the starting lineup? Maybe some games, but not enough to reach the levels the Philadelphia 76ers want to achieve this season. For this team to get where they’d like to be, Daryl Morey needs to secure a veteran point guard to help run the offense alongside Tyrese Maxey and in place of him. Fortunately, Milton’s upside and scoring prowess could help to get such a deal done, as he is very much an in-demand player.