The Philadelphia 76ers had a lot of expectations heading into the 2019-20 season. They had come so close to advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals the season before and they then made a big move to sign Al Horford in free agency and then acquire Josh Richardson from the Miami Heat to join Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris to chase a title.
Things did not go as planned throughout the season as the Sixers struggled to find any chemistry and they slumped to the 6 seed in the East before the league went into suspension on March 11. However, they have their second chance to right things as the season gets set to resume in Orlando.
“I think everybody’s excited,” said Raul Neto. “Even though it’s a training camp in the middle of the season, we feel like it’s just the beginning of a new one. We’ve been away for so long, we’ve been forced to be home, forced to not do anything in the weight room or the court so I think it just feels like a new season for us.”
Neto is a guy who is in his first season with Philadelphia and he understands where the Sixers are trying to go and the team’s expectations. He also understands that the team might need him to play much more should any Sixers test positive for coronavirus and he needs to stay ready for that opportunity.
“I’m just excited to be back in the season and looking forward to seeing what can I achieve on this team and where I can be on this team,” he said. “If it’s playing 20 minutes in case something happens and coach needs me out there, then I’ll just be confident and ready to go. I think I’m feeling pretty confident. My body feels great, I think those 2-3 months that I got were easy on my body. Personally, I’m excited to get back on the floor.”
The Sixers will officially get back to work on August 1 against the Indiana Pacers and that is when they will get their first opportunity to get back to work and get back on the championship chase that they are on right now. Neto may have to play a factor in this run and in that case, the Sixers will have to be ready for any scenario that gets thrown at them during this season resumption. [lawrence-related id=34053,34038,34039]