Philadelphia 76ers: 3 upsides to playing Raul Neto

The Philadelphia 76ers need Raul Neto to step in and step up.

With Ben Simmons out for at least one game, the Philadelphia 76ers will look to make more use of the newbie, Raul Neto to help orchestrate the offense. We’ll get to see just how legit the former Utah Jazz player is.

3. 100% Hustle

It seems like the Sixers have a thing for finding backup point guards that manifest the hard-working class ethic that Philadelphia is known for. T.J. McConnell was a prime example of this. So, now that he’s no longer with us (please take good care of him, Indiana) the Sixers went out and found another gritty point guard to back up Ben Simmons.

Over the course of the seven games that Neto has played in, I’ve noticed that if the ball is in reach of him, there is a 99 percent chance that he’s going to go after it. Whether the ball’s in the hands of the opponent or on the court after a mishap, you can bet Neto is all over it.

His hustler mentality ignites a spark to the rest of the team. This was apparent during their 129-128 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. While only seeing the court for a mere six minutes and only scoring four points he was +13 in that timeframe. He was one of the main reasons that the Sixers came back from their 21-point deficit.

2. Excellent ball-handler and passer

Raul Neto isn’t super spectacular at one thing, but he does multiple things really well. He’s a simple player and captures the essence of the traditional point guard in that he has the fundamentals down to a ‘T’. His ball-handling skills help him to smoothly facilitate the offense.

Not only can Neto control the ball as he’s making his way to the offensive end while a defender is all over him, but he can get himself open to make a point-scoring assist.

Neto is known for his quick movement whether he’s hustling to get himself open or running a pick and roll with Joel Embiid. Standing at 6-foot-1, Neto has an easier time changing his pace to do what he wants. His moves on the court allow spacing for his teammates.

1.  Shot creation 

As I mentioned before, Neto is known for his quick movements, especially when it comes to getting himself open. By looking at his stats, you wouldn’t think much of the Brazilians shooting, but when need be he can knock so shots down.

Over the six games that Neto’s played, he’s averaged around 13 minutes per game. During that time on the court, his field goal percentage sits at 57.7 percent. I think if he sees some more time on the court going forward, he’ll get even more comfortable and shift into more of a shooting role.