Utah Jazz 2016-17 season review: Raul Neto

Apr 28, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; LA Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) controls the ball defended by Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto (25) during the fourth quarter in game six of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Raul Neto's second season with the Utah Jazz saw him get buried on the depth chart and succumb to injuries. How should we look back on his year?

Drafted with the 47th selection back in 2015, Raul Neto has faced a long road to even reach his current role with the Utah Jazz. Born in Brazil, he played professionally overseas from 2008-15 before coming to the United States.

Once in America, he was thrust into the Jazz lineup due to an injury suffered by Dante Exum prior to the start of the 2015-16 season, but was sent back to the deep bench around the All-Star break with the arrival of Shelvin Mack.

Since then, his minutes have been mostly spotty, as he's been stuck behind Exum, Mack, and this season, George Hill for minutes on the depth chart.

In 2016-17, Neto averaged 2.5 points, 0.9 assists and 0.5 steals per game on 45 percent shooting from the field. Of course, this came in just 8.7 minutes per game, with Neto only appearing in 40 contests on the season.

Of course, even when tasked with a smaller role, the Jazz still need to be able to count on their bench players to step up when needed, as Neto played often in the place of the frequently-injured Hill and others.

As such, having an insurance policy or competent backup goes a long way toward maintaining a team's consistency over an 82-game season.

In order to look further at what Neto brings to the Jazz, we'll look at his strengths, weaknesses, and how the future looks regarding his place in Utah.

May 8, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder and guard Raul Neto (25) talk during a stoppage in play against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter in game four of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

Even while being disadvantaged in terms of height (standing 6'1″) and athleticism, Neto's most endearing attribute is his strong defensive acumen. Extrapolated out to 36 minutes, he averaged 2.2 steals last season, a mark that would rank first on the Jazz.

He'll often push opponents out of their comfort zone with on-ball pressure, holding strong and never letting his guard down. The Jazz as a team were excellent defensively, but Neto had the squad's fifth-best defensive rating, according to Basketball-Reference.

He isn't blessed with an freakish wingspan, measuring 6'4″ in that department, but he has proven effective in maintaining good form closing out on shooters, rating in the 82nd percentile defending spot-ups, according to Synergy.

In fact, Neto ranks highly in terms of pick-and-roll defense as well, allowing just 0.75 points per possession on such instances. This again places him favorably in the 76th percentile league-wide.

He doesn't have a ton of tools in his offensive arsenal, but what can be said about Neto is that he knows his limitations. Posting a minuscule 14.8 usage rate, he hardly ever looks to make something out of nothing, deferring to others on the court.

However, when he does get an opportunity to score, he finishes well, shooting 61.5 percent from within five feet of the hoop.

This reluctance can, of course, be absorbed by the Jazz more easily than on other teams, as they have many other assets capable of creating offense in Neto's absence.

Jan 21, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto (25) controls the ball as Indiana Pacers guard Jeff Teague (44) defends during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

Weaknesses

Perhaps the biggest fault a point guard can have in the modern NBA is an inability to shoot the ball from the outside. Without the threat of a three-pointer, defenses can render any off-ball or screen action essentially useless by sagging off said player.

This is exactly what ails Neto, as he shot just 32 percent from behind the arc in 2016-17. He wasn't much better on pull-up jumpers or from midrange either, shooting 25 percent in those areas.

Neto isn't much of a facilitator, dishing out just 3.5 assists per 36 minutes as he tends to not dominate the ball. As previously mentioned, him playing off-ball is a detriment to the Jazz offense due to spacing.

It may seem obvious, but Neto doesn't get to the free throw line frequently at all, registering just nine attempts from the charity stripe on the season.

Despite his penchant for steals, Neto doesn't grade out well at all in transition, producing just 0.8 points per possession. This isn't a huge issue given how methodically the Jazz like to play, but it could hurt him on the open market.

His weaknesses are defined, but what truly hurts Neto is the fact that there's not much further to ascend in terms of improving his skills, as his ceiling looks to be quite low.

December 20, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Utah Jazz guard Raul Neto (25) dribbles the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Jazz 104-74. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Moving Forward

Having signed a three-year deal upon joining the Jazz, Neto will make $1.4 million next season. After that, he's slated to become a restricted free agent, likely earning more on the open market than the $1.8 million qualifying offer due to him from the Jazz.

If he's cheap enough, the Jazz could look to bring him back, as they will be facing a cap crunch in all likelihood over the next couple of seasons.

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At 25 years old, Neto won't be building on his athletic base anytime soon, but he could still realistically improve his jump shot.

Even shooting a few percentage points higher with a slight increase in attempts could really boost his stock as a point guard.

In terms of the Jazz depth chart, Neto, as well as the rest of the team, faces uncertainty regarding the point position.

If George Hill were to return, Neto would again be pushed down to the third-string or worse.

If Hill were to leave however, Utah's front office would likely make the position a priority in free agency or the draft.

Still, Neto can prove his worth to the franchise by making the most of his limited minutes, as well as continuing to step up when he's called upon.

Be on the lookout for more Jazz player reviews over the following days and weeks as we continue to recap the 2016-17 season.