Shake Milton might have the best name in the 2018 NBA Draft. How did he get it you ask? Malik Benjamin Milton’s father, Myrion, was nicknamed “Milkman” while he was playing for Texas A&M.
Shake, short for milkshake, was born.
The Mustang’s leading scorer last season is projected to be drafted as high as the late teens and as low as the second round. The rangy guard impressed with his incredible wingspan (7’0”) at the combine, measuring longer than Michael Porter Jr., Miles Bridges, Kevin Knox amongst others.
Milton finished his final season at SMU averaging 18 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists on 44.9 percent shooting. He ended his college career shooting 42.7 percent from deep, having only playing 22 games his final season due to injury.
Milton isn't just a sharpshooter. He has playmaking skills along with the size to make him a factor at multiple positions. He isn’t the most athletic player in the draft, but his impressive offensive skills along with the defensive prowess make him an intriguing prospect at the very least.
As position-less basketball keeps evolving, wings with versatility like Milton will become more valuable. With the right wrist injury in the rearview mirror, he has potential to be a late-draft steal for a team in dire need of wing contributors.
Best Quote:
“They’re not gonna ask me to come in and get 25 shots and have all these isolations, so it’s just about doing what you do well,��� Shake Milton said at the NBA Draft Combine. “And for me, that’s gonna be (the ability) to knock down shots and then play defense. I felt like people are saying—you might hear that I’m not engaged or defensively I’m lacking. But I think that’s what I’m trying to show out here is just that I can be a pesky defender—active, long and get after people.”
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