In addition to superstar big man Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers were also without rotation players Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith in their contest against the Washington Wizards. As such, head coach JJ Redick chose to turn to Shake Milton for reserve guard minutes and the mid-season acquisition responded with his best game by far in a Lakers uniform.
Milton knocked down 7-of-8 from the field to finish with 21 points, four rebounds, four assist and two steals, making a major impact on both ends of the court in the Lakers’ blowout win. The guard had barely seen rotation minutes since coming over from the Brooklyn Nets, but he was ready when Redick called his number.
It can be difficult for a player to stay locked in and in a rhythm when he isn’t seeing regular rotation minutes, but that wasn’t the case for Milton. The Lakers guard pointed to the mental side, saying that being mentally prepared at all times allowed for him to be ready on this night, as seen on Spectrum SportsNet:
“I think a lot of it is just mental. It’s the mental game. I feel like that’s when that comes into play, when you’re just thrust into different situations or a different environment and you kind of have to move and run on the fly. Just taking the time to mentally prepare regardless of the rest you’re seeing and staying locked in and staying in that mind frame. I think that helps a lot.”
In terms of his performance overall, Milton felt it was simply a matter of effort and having fun that allowed him to have such a great game:
“I think it was just more so effort. Just whatever happens, happens. Just go out there and know what the team is trying to accomplish, be smart and locked in on those type of things. Just get out there, play ball, have fun.”
Milton has certainly shown that he can make an impact for the Lakers off the bench if his number is called. Whether he will carve himself a spot in the rotation remains to be seen, especially once Vincent returns, but regardless it is a positive to have a reliable guard to turn to at any moment if needed.
JJ Redick says Lakers played ‘angry’ vs. Wizards
Shake Milton provided a huge boost for the Lakers, but it was truly a full team effort that led to their blowout victory over the Wizards.
A big reason for the win was the edge that the team played with, something head coach JJ Redick asked for prior to the game. Redick felt the Lakers played ‘angry’ and executed well from top to bottom. The Lakers coach added that they should be happy with the way they executed.
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