Utah Jazz Best/Worst Case Series: Can Raul Neto become more than a third string PG?

Raul Neto has provided the Utah Jazz with tremendous point guard depth over the last three years. Can he be more than a third string option for the team, though?

Utah was where Raul Neto wanted to be. Utah is where his teammates wanted him to stay. Utah is where he’ll be for the next two years, at least. Neto re-signed with the Utah Jazz on a two-year, $4.4 million dollar deal this summer.

Neto could have pursued a bigger role elsewhere, which says a lot about the camaraderie of this Utah Jazz team. Heck, even Tony Parker wasn’t willing to stay with the San Antonio Spurs after nearly two decades with the team.

Parker chose to join the Charlotte Hornets, a place where he’ll play more minutes than he would have in San Antonio. Parker would have been playing behind Dejounte Murray and Patty Mills. The fact that Neto wanted to stay despite other opportunities should excite Jazz fans.

Injuries have hurt Neto over the last few years. He played in half the games last season, but would’ve played in much more if it weren’t for being banged up. He probably will never play as big of a role for the Jazz as he did during his rookie year, but Neto was very solid for the Jazz this past season. He shot a career-high 40.4 percent from 3-point land, averaged a little over four points per game and scored a career-high 22 points in a game against the Brooklyn Nets.

Best Case Scenario

The best case scenario for Raul Neto is becoming Ricky Rubio‘s primary backup. In order for that to happen, Dante Exum would have to catch a case of the injury bug. After seeing what Exum showed in the 2018 Playoffs, particularly in guarding James Harden, there’s a very slim chance Neto can beat him out for that role.

The Jazz could try and experiment with Neto playing off the ball, which would help his case, but at just 6’1″, Neto doesn’t have much business playing off the ball. His 40.4 percent 3-point percentage would come in handy, but again, Neto is too small for that role. Still, it’s something Quin Snyder could experiment with. Nonetheless, playing minutes in the upper-teens would be the best case scenario for Neto.

Worst Case Scenario

Raul Neto sticking as the third string point guard would be his worst case scenario. But at least he’d be playing. Most of the time, third stringers get into plenty of games, unless you’re coached by Tom Thibodeau. Last season, Neto was able to play more backup point guard with Dante Exum on the shelf. As noted, it was mostly injuries that held him to playing in just 41 games.

By the time Neto’s contract is up, he’ll be 27 years old – the perfect age to cash in. Being the third point guard will hurt his chances of receiving a significant raise the next time he hits the open market. Of note, Neto is pretty under-paid as it is. What he got this summer was a bargain for Utah.

The point guard position is the most important position in basketball, so it’s important to have a quality third string guy. Luckily for the Jazz, they have one of the best in the league. A perfect word to describe Neto is pesky. He’s tenacious on the defensive end, dives on the floor for loose balls and always plays hard. Quin Snyder has a lot of trust in him.

Having Neto on the roster provides the Jazz with great insurance. If there’s ever an injury, the Jazz know darn well that Neto will step up. It’ll be nice to see Raul Neto continue suiting up for the Utah Jazz. It’s been four years, and I’m not sure how many people thought he’d be around this long. He’s been a successful second round draft pick for Utah.