Utah Jazz: Raul Neto thrust into prominent point guard role
By TONY JONES | The Salt Lake Tribune connect
Outside of a spot on the roster, nothing was promised to Raul Neto on the day he officially signed with the Utah Jazz. Not playing time, not a designation on the depth chart. There was even a scenario where Neto could've ended up in the D-League, as small a possibility as that was.
None of that mattered to Utah's Brazilian point guard. This is a guy who wanted to play in the NBA, who wanted to be in in the best basketball league in the world from childhood. So when the Jazz approached him over the summer about coming over from UCAM Murcia of the Spanish league, there was nothing to think about.
Neto jumped at the opportunity. Forget any language barrier. No worries about living in a strange place. Neto just wanted the chance.
"The adjustment to the Jazz and to a new country as been good," Neto said. "The Jazz have been helping with everything, the house and the car and the family needs. I've been living alone in Spain for four years, so I'm used to living alone. So the adjustment has been good."
This is where the story takes a twist. Neto is no longer competing for spare minutes. He's no longer a question mark when it comes to even getting onto the court. Dante Exum is hurt, the victim of a torn ACL. All of that means — whether Trey Burke is the starter or not — Neto is a part of Utah's committee of point guards. Chances are, he's going to play meaningful minutes this season. And chances are, those minutes are going have an impact on Utah's ultimate outlook.
But the Jazz have long admired Neto's talent and his ability to play the position. On a team full of passers, Neto may already be the best. At 6-foot-2, Neto's the one point guard with real defensive upside in Exum's absence.
He's just 23 years old, but he has extensive experience. Neto's been playing professionally since 2008. He's still very young, but is a member of Brazil's national team. It was last summer when he had a good showing against Team USA in the World Championships that Neto realized he had a good opportunity to play at the highest level.
"I remember after the USA game that Leandro Barbosa came to me and told me I was ready to play in the league," Neto said. "He told me I was improving a lot, and it was good for me to hear that from a guy like Barbosa. He's seen me play since I was a teenager."
There are questions, however. Neto's never been a great shooter. And if he's to have success at the NBA level, that has to change. Neto doesn't have to be Stephen Curry. But he does have to be able to knock down enough outside shots to command respect from opposing defenses.
In a big way — even before he's played a game — that's Neto's biggest challenge, because historically he's never shot it well. And here's what's at stake: If Neto can shoot a reasonable percentage from the perimeter, he carves out space for his ability to penetrate the lane and find people. If he doesn't, he becomes Rajon Rondo and his lack of shooting clogs up the Jazz offense as a whole.
"I think it's big for me," Neto said. "I've been working on my shooting this summer. I know that I have to be more confident shooting the ball and that can open the court for me. It's a big thing that I have to improve on."
Neto's adjustment to Salt Lake City and the Jazz has been a few years in the making. When he was drafted in 2013, he played summer league for Utah. Last summer, Neto spent a month over the summer working out with the coaching staff and hiking the mountains with center Rudy Gobert.
His transition with his teammates is going smoothly. He's already garnered a nickname — Gordon Hayward calls him "Wolf" — because of the pronunciation of his name. He's still a few days from his preseason debut, but he's got Kyle Korver potential when it comes to female Jazz fans. And by all accounts, he's played well this week in training camp.
"He's been really good for us," Hayward said. "Wolf's done a great job running the show."
Indeed, the adjustment's been smooth so far for Raul Neto. But he still has to play basketball. And the basketball is what will determine his ultimate success.
tjones@sltrib.com