Utah Jazz: Small sample size notwithstanding, Raul Neto has been excellent since return

Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto has only been back for three games since recovering from a groin injury, but he’s been sensational in the opportunities he’s been given.

The Utah Jazz underwent a bout with the injury bug in early 2019 as at one point each point guard on their roster – Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto and Dante Exum – was out of commission. Thabo Sefolosha was also sidelined for a while and Exum and Tony Bradley won’t even be reevaluated until after the All-Star break.

Despite the injuries, the Jazz have still managed to fare quite well as they find themselves in sixth place in the West heading into the break. And the good news is that they’ve slowly but surely rounded back into healthy form. Rubio was the first to return to action and recently he was joined by Neto, who had been out of action with a groin injury.

And although Neto has only appeared in three games since returning from injury, he was absolutely sensational in each contest. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any Jazzman that doesn’t respect Raul for his solid work ethic and relentless hustle, but of late the numbers have backed up the eye test as he’s been a steadying force for the Jazz off the bench.

In his return game against the Phoenix Suns, he put up just three points on a single made shot. However, he was a plus-20 on the night while logging a trio of assists in only 12 minutes of play. He saw an uptick in minutes in the ensuing contest against San Antonio as he dropped four points this time on 50 percent shooting while dropping five assists, a pair of rebounds and a plus/minus of plus-nine.

Most recently, despite the fact that the Jazz fell short against Golden State, Neto was undoubtedly one of the brightest spots in the game. He put up 10 points in just nine minutes on 3-of-4 shooting from the field. He was one of only two Jazzmen to finish with a positive plus/minus (the other was Joe Ingles) and he was the only reserve to do so.

Neto’s calm and collected play against Golden State helped shake the Jazz out of their horribly timid start and his aggression and smart play helped spark Utah’s run which saw them take the lead late in the game. Unfortunately, that lead didn’t hold, and quite frankly, based on how confident and controlled he played, I would have liked to have seen him log more than the mere nine minutes he played, instead usurping some playing time from Ricky Rubio.

Diving a little deeper, in the three games since returning, Neto’s impact on the team has been unquestionable. He’s put up a team-high net rating of 42 and the best defensive rating of any player who’s logged significant minutes during that stretch with an impeccable mark of 78.5. With Neto off the court, the Jazz net rating was just 5.0 in those trio of games, and their defensive rating was a forgettable 108.4.

Sure, the sample size of three games and 35 total minutes played is extremely small, but there’s just no denying that Neto has made the most of his opportunities. He’s as scrappy as they come, and despite some physical shortcomings, is typically sound and focused, which is exactly why he continues to have the role he does on the team.

His play is especially interesting when contrasting it to that of starting point guard Ricky Rubio the past three games. Despite the Jazz enjoying two blowout wins over Phoenix and San Antonio as part of those three games, Utah’s net rating with Rubio on the floor was only 9.2 while it was 24.4 with him off. Meanwhile, the defensive rating was 104.8 with him on compared to 91.7 with him off.

In other words, while it’s been in small stretches, Neto has been solid. And while the limited playing time can skew the results somewhat, it’s not outlandish to say that Raul has been more reliable than Rubio. When Ricky’s on, he’s obviously the better player and the Jazz clearly have a higher ceiling relying on Rubio over Neto.

However, at times when Neto is in a groove, such as was the case on Tuesday against Golden State, I’d love to see Quin Snyder continue to put his trust in him. Raul has done nothing but give his all for the Jazz since joining the squad and being given the chance to prove himself when he’s putting Utah in a better spot than the erratic Rubio is an opportunity he absolutely deserves.

Neto’s playing time could become even more spotty once Dante Exum returns to the lineup, but he’s been such a reliable backup point guard that it’s hard to leave him out of the action entirely. Regardless of opponent, deficit or any other circumstance, Raul Neto has always been one to bolster the Jazz in any way possible. His sensational showing in Utah’s last three games in his return from injury is a perfect example of that.