Utah Jazz: 5 keys to series vs. Thunder
By Mason McFee
5. Neto is the Raul deal
Raul Togni Neto. The name may not be familiar, but get to know it, because he’s about to make a name for himself in the playoffs. Maybe.
It’s no secret that once the playoffs arrive, coaches tighten their rotations even further, and, if they haven’t already, pretty much have them picked out before they start. While Dante Exum is a fine backup point guard, and offers more intrigue than Neto or any other backup guard on the roster, it may behoove head coach Quin Snyder to give Neto some run.
Some of these lineups are literally not possible with Rodney Hood being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline, and Thabo Sefolosha suffering a torn MCL towards the beginning of the season, but the numbers are very promising nonetheless:
| Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | Net | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Lineup | Tm | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | PTS ▼ |
ORB | ORB% | DRB | DRB% | TRB | TRB% | AST | STL |
| 1 | A. Burks | D. Favors | R. Neto | R. O’Neale | T. Sefolosha | UTA | 10:44 | +50.7 | -5.2 | +.572 | +25.2 | +16.7 | +.457 | +.714 | -13.8 | -13.3 | -.214 | +112.9 | -14.3 | -16.7 | +51.4 | -16.7 | +19.5 | +36.4 | +30.7 | -10.0 |
| 2 | J. Jerebko | D. Mitchell | R. Neto | R. O’Neale | E. Udoh | UTA | 12:13 | +27.7 | +6.1 | +.315 | +25.0 | +23.1 | +.545 | +.465 | -5.7 | -5.7 | .000 | +74.6 | -9.5 | -17.5 | +2.7 | -17.5 | -4.3 | -11.1 | +33.0 | +9.8 |
| 3 | D. Favors | R. Hood | J. Johnson | R. Neto | R. O’Neale | UTA | 14:33 | +18.3 | +12.2 | +.125 | +16.8 | +21.3 | +.292 | +.203 | +12.8 | +4.8 | +.500 | +66.3 | +8.8 | +29.2 | +11.5 | +29.2 | +10.2 | +29.4 | +5.0 | -0.5 |
| 4 | D. Favors | R. Hood | J. Ingles | D. Mitchell | R. Neto | UTA | 11:20 | +20.9 | +5.4 | +.208 | -1.0 | -14.8 | +.225 | +.197 | +7.0 | -2.1 | +.333 | +47.7 | +8.0 | +33.3 | +31.8 | +33.3 | +18.8 | +52.9 | +14.3 | +0.3 |
| 5 | A. Burks | R. Hood | R. Neto | T. Sefolosha | E. Udoh | UTA | 36:15 | +17.1 | +18.6 | +.096 | +14.3 | +15.7 | +.265 | +.165 | -2.9 | -8.6 | +.171 | +45.7 | -1.4 | -3.8 | -1.4 | -3.8 | -1.4 | -3.8 | +7.1 | +7.1 |
| 6 | A. Burks | J. Jerebko | R. Neto | R. O’Neale | E. Udoh | UTA | 29:51 | +4.6 | -16.9 | +.147 | -1.4 | -18.9 | +.250 | +.147 | +17.2 | +20.6 | +.042 | +24.9 | -6.3 | -7.5 | +10.2 | -7.5 | +2.5 | +5.3 | +0.7 | +4.8 |
| 7 | J. Crowder | D. Favors | J. Jerebko | R. Neto | R. O’Neale | UTA | 20:28 | +4.7 | -28.2 | +.167 | +8.3 | -3.4 | +.286 | +.226 | +3.4 | +6.2 | -.079 | +21.2 | -4.2 | +5.7 | +18.6 | +5.7 | +7.7 | +13.6 | +1.1 | -5.3 |
| 8 | R. Hood | J. Johnson | R. Neto | R. O’Neale | E. Udoh | UTA | 10:34 | +14.3 | +9.5 | +.117 | -4.8 | 0.0 | -.125 | +.081 | -19.0 | -28.6 | +.286 | +4.8 | -4.8 | -7.6 | 0.0 | -7.6 | -2.4 | -4.3 | +9.5 | +4.8 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/12/2018.
By scrolling over to the point differential section of the table, one number may jump out: 112.9. While it was an extremely short sample size (10:44 of playing time), the lineup of Alec Burks-Derrick Favors-Raul Neto-Royce O’Neale-Thabo Sefolosha had a point differential of +112.9. That is a mind-boggling number.
Taking a look at the next lineup, it includes a player who doesn’t get too much run in Ekpe Udoh, but Jerebko and O’Neale are fixtures off the Jazz’s bench, while Donovan Mitchell is a full-time starter. While Exum could handle playing 20-25 minutes a night easily, it may not be such a bad idea to try this lineup to give some of Utah’s starters a breather. A +74.6 point differential is nothing to sneeze at. Did I mention that this lineup included Raul Neto?
Now, to be realistic, could a guy who averaged 12.1 minutes per game in the regular season really make that much of a difference? Probably not, but Neto missed 13 games with a wrist injury, and only returned this past Tuesday. He finished as a +8 in just 10:38 of playing time in the regular season finale against Portland.
Your move, Mr. Snyder.