12. Raul Neto
Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder is pretty well respected around the NBA. A few years ago, Snyder had a choice as to who his backup point guard would be. It was between two 6-foot-1 players of varying pedigree.
Either it would be Trey Burke, the former NCAA Player of the Year and former ninth overall pick in the NBA draft, or Raul Neto who was selected 47th in the draft and came to Utah after playing a few years in Spain.
Snyder picked Neto, and Burke was shipped to the Wizards at the end of the season.
Sixers coach Brett Brown now has the same decision as both Neto and Burke were signed over the summer.
While Burke has been the more ballyhooed pick-up, Neto was actually signed first and has a fully guaranteed contract, while Burke’s is only partially guaranteed.
Snyder went with Neto because of his superior defense. While Burke is known for his explosive offense, Neto is actually the better outside shooter. His career 37.7 three-point shooting percentage is better than Burke’s by three points.
Neto is also used to big games; he played for Brazil in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
He probably would still be with the Jazz if they had not traded for star point guard Mike Conley Jr.
Neto has all the traits of being a solid backup to Ben Simmons except for one flaw — durability.
After starting 53 games and playing in 81 for Utah as a rookie, Neto has been unable to play more than 47 games in a year for the past three seasons due to injury.
He had regained the starting point guard position this past season with the Jazz, only to get hurt in his first start and miss the rest of the year.
Neto has spent the summer in Los Angeles working on strengthening his body so he can avoid the injury bug with his new team.
Since his entire NBA career has been in the Western Conference, he might be unfamiliar to many Sixers fans.
But if he can remain healthy, a big if considering his recent history, Neto can be a real contributor as the scrappy, high-I.Q. point guard Philly fans love to watch.