Sixers vs. Suns: 3 takeaways from shorthanded loss

3. We can stop complaining about Trey Burke

Once upon a time in the bubble, Trey Burke dropped 31 points and riled up a significant portion of the Sixers fanbase. Many decried his absence, and extended that to open disdain for Raul Neto’s presence on the roster.

Finally, we can stop having the (frankly silly) Burke debate.

At no point this season was Burke better than Neto. Was he flashier? Sure. Did he put up more points? Sure. But at no point was Burke better than Neto. The Sixers needed to cut someone in order to create room for Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson at the trade deadline. I’m perfectly content saying Burke was the obvious and correct choice.

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While Burke’s ability to score in bunches was helpful on paper, his tendency to over-dribble, poor shot selection, and lackluster defense make him a deeply flawed player. Neto isn’t without his own flaws, but he’s a consistent 3-point shooter, a high-effort defender, and a steady hand at the point guard spot.

In the end, both Burke and Neto are mostly negligible players, which is why the outcry of support for Burke (combined with the affront to Neto) was so strange. In the end, neither matters for a healthy and competitive team. If the Sixers are going to compete in the East, I can guarantee it’s not because of Neto. It would have been the same for Burke. He’s not a difference-maker.

Then, Christopher, why is he playing for Dallas?

Because the Mavs were down a point guard and needed a replacement. The Sixers were not down a rotation member and do not have a readily available slot for someone like Burke. Neto doesn’t have a spot in the rotation, Burke wouldn’t either. It’s why he got cut. So he could sign somewhere with a greater need.

That said, Neto dropped an impressive 22 points in Tuesday’s loss. He was the Sixers’ most consistent source of offense for extended stretches, especially in the second half. He had several crafty finishes at the rim and ran the offense with great confidence.

Now than both he and Burke have had their fluky outburst in the bubble, we can finally stop talking about it as if it’s a critical debate.