Sixers’ Shake Milton looking to make shots while continuing to run summer-league offense
With just two guards - Ben Simmons and Raul Neto - on the roster, the Sixers are hoping Milton can develop into a solid ballhandler.
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LAS VEGAS – Shake Milton has shown that he’s a solid shooter.
Yet, that hasn’t been the case for 76ers’ combination guard through two games here at the NBA summer league.
Milton, who signed his four-year contract to remain with the Sixers on Sunday, is shooting 4-for-29 overall and 0-for-11 on threes. He said that he’ll continue to fight through his slump. That’s what the Sixers expect from Milton, who is their summer-league starting point guard after playing off the ball last season.
“He has to get in his mind to keep playing,” said coach Connor Johnson, also his coach last season with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats when he averaged 24.9 points. “He’s done a lot of things really well.”
Johnson points out that Milton has been a solid passer and a great leader of the offense.
“He hasn’t hit shots,” the coach said. “Some of them tough ones, some of them he hasn’t got to go in. Life goes on.”
The Sixers know they will play at least five games in Las Vegas. Milton is averaging 6.5 assists and 3.0 turnovers through two games. The Sixers are using this summer league as part of their evaluation of how they’ll use him next season. Last season, he was a rookie shooting guard on a two-way contract.
Right now, Ben Simmons and Raul Neto are the only point guards on the team’s roster. Milton could be a candidate to become the third.
So this summer league is more about showcasing his point-guard skills than making shots.
“Coming in, I definitely wanted to prove that I could do a little bit of everything, show my versatility,” Milton said. “I think I’ve done that even though I haven’t been able to knock down shots, I still got people involved.
“I feel like I’ve done a really good job of running the team.”
The focus for Monday’s 3 p.m. matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder is to continue that -- and knock down shots.
Earthquake
As an earthquake stopped a summer-league game in progress Friday night, a reporter and a source became dizzy while chatting at a local restaurant. The flow swayed back and forth for a couple of minutes as while costumers and employees kept asking what was going on.
Moments later, they were informed that it was an earthquake with registered a magnitude of 7.1 in California.
While scary at the moment, folks in the restaurant went on to resume what they were doing.