Tag: Raul Neto

Ben Simmons, Raul Neto react to playing together, Simmons at the 5

Philadelphia 76ers guards Ben Simmons and Raul Neto react to playing with each other.

The Philadelphia 76ers needed to make a choice on Monday. Either they try again to get something positive out of the Kyle O’Quinn and Jonah Bolden pairing in the second half after they struggled in the first half or try something different.

Coach Brett Brown went a different route as he moved Ben Simmons to the center position and had Raul Neto on the floor handling things at the point guard spot. It resulted in Simmons carrying the Sixers to a 117-111 win over the Brooklyn Nets on the road on Monday.

Having him play the center position creates so many mismatches due to him being 6-foot-10 and one of the more athletic players in the league. That can help things going forward as Brown tries to nail down a few things for his team.

“It’s tough for any big to guard me when I’m going at him,” said Simmons. “That’s not knocking any bigs, I’m just pretty fast, I can get to the rim, and then you have a guy like Raul who comes out, has great touch, and great basketball IQ and he’s able to find me and just make the right play and make good reads off that pick.”

The Sixers have not had many lineups with Simmons and Neto on the floor together on the season, but on Monday it clearly worked as the two worked the pick-and-roll game seamlessly.

“It was great,” Simmons added. “He’s locked in and ready to go and I love that about him. He’s not a selfish player, he likes to share the ball, he takes the shots that he gets. He’s a great player, a great teammate.”

Neto did not have an eye-popping stat line as he shot only 1-for-7 for three points and he had four assists, but he offers the Sixers a different look that they can’t have with other point guards. He makes a lot of smart reads and he and Simmons play well off each other.

It also makes it easy when you’re roller is a guy like Simmons who can take the pressure off a bit.

“He makes it easy because he sets good screens,” said Neto. “So it’s either I’m open or he’s going to be open, he’s a great roller and with his athleticism, he just gets to the rim every time so it’s always either I get an open floater which I didn’t make today, but it was either that or he gets to the rim, fouls or And-1’s, or layups so he made it easy for me.”

The Sixers will always have options for secondary ball handlers as the season wears on and a guy like Neto will factor into the rotation. When the playoffs roll around, he gives them another option as well as Trey Burke and Josh Richardson to move Simmons off the ball and have him as a roller. Monday’s effort was a good sample for Brown to use in the future. [lawrence-related id=23956,23947,23914]

Brett Brown gives insight on Raul Neto-Trey Burke backup rotation

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown gives insight on the Raul Neto and Trey Burke backup rotation.

The Philadelphia 76ers have two very capable backup point guard in Raul Neto and Trey Burke, but it seems that they can’t decide on who to play every night. The Sixers started the season with Neto as the primary backup option before he gave way to Burke and then they have flip-flopped ever since.

Recently, Burke was getting the majority of the minutes as coach Brett Brown wanted to see what he had in him and he wanted to experiment with Burke and Ben Simmons lineups. However, Burke has not played in their previous two games as he gave way to Neto backing up Simmons.

In a situation like this in the past, Brown would use the word “tournament” and let players win their spot in the rotation. However, he says this is a bit different.

“I almost feel like the ‘tournament’ word isn’t true anymore,” said Brown. “There is a mindset that I have to not let somebody rot on a bench. I’m mindful of that. It’s never to the detriment of a team that they’re both very good players and they’re both very different.”

Neto is the prototypical Brown point guard as he is more conservative and he’s a pass-first guard. Burke is more of the flashy scorer and he looks for his offense before creating for others. Therefore, Brown has to use the different factors when deciding who will be the backup on a nightly basis.

“So when do I make that decision?” Brown continued. “It’s certainly based on the opponent, some of it factors into the human side, the coaching responsibility I have to keep their spirit, their game, the team afloat. So decisions are based on some of those things of who plays and who doesn’t.”

The backup point guard position has been something to behold all season as the Sixers try and nail down the rotation before the playoffs. Another thing to consider is that not only will Neto and Burke be involved, but Josh Richardson will be as well. It will be something to watch as the season continues to unfold. [lawrence-related id=23743,23733,23720]

Sixers’ Brett Brown explains decisions on Raul Neto, Trey Burke

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown explains his decisions on the backup point guard on a nightly basis.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a few options they can go to in terms of who is the backup point guard to Ben Simmons on a nightly basis. Coach Brett Brown can turn to Josh Richardson and have him slide over and handle the ball or he can turn to a few point guard pickups.

The Sixers picked up Raul Neto and Trey Burke in free agency in order to backup Simmons and Brown has alternated between the two for stretches. For a few weeks, Neto was the main option off the bench as he averaged 21.2 minutes in six games from November 4 through November 13 earning two starts when Simmons went down with an injury. Then, Burke took his turn averaging 17 minutes in four games from November 17-23.

Recently, Brown has gone back to Neto as he played the bulk of the backup minutes against the Toronto Raptors and the Sacramento Kings over the previous two games while Burke did not play at all. Brown explained his decision making saying:

Some of it’s gut feel, some of it’s the notion that I don’t want one of my players to rot. I want to keep them alive, some of it for sure is matchups. I’d say if you had to weight what I just said it would be tilted more towards like ‘how are we going to win?’ Like where are we best suited to win? It’s judged on all of those types of things.

Burke is averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 assists and Neto is averaging 4.1 points and 1.6 assists so far on the season. Burke is more of a natural scorer while Neto is more of a pass-first type of point guard who will distribute and run the offense first before looking for his own offense.

One of Brown’s favorite phrases is “the gym will speak” meaning whatever is happening in the game will decide who he turns to. If the team needs a spark and needs some instant scoring, Burke might be the option. If they need to be calmed down as well as somebody who can knock down shots, then Neto will get a look. It’s all based on those types of natural basketball things. [lawrence-related id=20193,20185,20173]

Nine games into the year, Brett Brown is figuring out Sixers rotation

Nine games into the 2019-20 season, coach Brett Brown is still figuring out the Sixers rotation.

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The Philadelphia 76ers still have a lot to figure out after nine games. They still have to figure out things like who is going to be the closer with the game on the line, how will Joel Embiid and Al Horford really work together, and they’re still developing team chemistry.

One thing that will still need to be figured out is the rotation. Big things like who’s the backup point guard and what to do with rookie Matisse Thybulle who has been out of the rotation since Ben Simmons’ injury.

A big change in coach Brett Brown’s rotation, due to the Simmons injury, has been Raul Neto starting at point guard and Trey Burke being used as a backup. This is notable due to the fact that Josh Richardson was being used as the primary backup point guard when Simmons was healthy and in the lineup.

With everything that has happened in the first nine games, Brown is still experimenting as he stated:

I wouldn’t say anything is set. We’re finding our way and we have different options. I think that the phrase that I like to use, ‘horses for courses,’ is based on who you’re playing and who’s playing well. I don’t feel married to anything this early in the season. You just figure it out. I won’t put a death spell on any of the players either. I feel open to playing the people that I think it’s going to take to win that night.

Does that mean the Sixers will go back to Thybulle in the rotation once Simmons returns? Will Burke go back to being buried at the end of the bench? Will Richardson go back to backup point guard responsibilities? These are questions that Brown will have to answer and figure out.

I feel like there are outliers in every game. It is possible to put Raul Neto and Trey Burke in the rotation with Ben Simmons. Those two guards have played well and it’s exciting. It’s one of those in-game adjustments that you could make, knowing that it is a unique lineup.

At the end of the day, the team is 6-3 and they are in a good spot in the early going of the season. The challenge now is for Brown and his staff to figure out a solid rotation and settle on it. It doesn’t help that Simmons is out right now and Embiid’s absences have put a wrench into the plan, but it must be figured out soon. [lawrence-related id=19083,19074,19064]