Raul Neto: 3-point shooting
Raul Neto should be the favorite to win the backup point guard spot. He doesn’t provide the spark Trey Burke is capable of, but Neto has a similar demeanor to a player Brett Brown trusted with the offense for several years: T.J. McConnell. They share similar traits. Both are small and scrappy. Neto and McConnell aren’t shot-hungry gunners. Both players play within the system and flow of the offense. Neto’s greatest offensive addition to the team may be his pick-and-roll ability, but his 3-point shooting could be the most important.
Going back to the role that will mirror McConnell, Neto offers a level of shooting that his predecessor could not provide. Neto is a career 37.7 percent shooter from 3. Granted the volume is low at 1.5 attempts per game, Neto has not appeared in more than 42 games since his rookie year in 2015. He’s not a dynamic shooter that will randomly explode for 40 points, but he’s a shooter you need to respect and it doesn’t take him five minutes to get his shot off (sorry, T.J.).
If there’s one question about the current Sixers team it’s shooting. If Neto wants to be a consistent contributor this season, his 3-point shooting needs to be reliable. Most of Neto’s threes will come from spot-ups on the weakside and he’ll need to convert. Neto isn’t a shooter that will be asked to come around screens, but his floor spacing will still be a necessity.
The Sixers have the personnel to punish teams from the painted area. It won’t be long before teams start daring them to make shots from distance. The corner 3 could be the key to Neto winning the backup point guard battle. Trey Burke and Shake Milton both offer intriguing scoring potential in the second unit, but Neto offers the most as a true point guard.
Neto wasn’t brought on to be Brazilian T.J. He needs to offer pop as a scorer. The easiest and most feasible way for him to do that is to knock down at least 35 percent of his triples.