Do not expect much Trey Burke or Raul Neto this season
Leading up to the season, one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Sixers was their uncertainty at backup point guard. After the departure of TJ McConnell, free agents Raulzinho Neto and Trey Burke were brought in to compete for the back up point guard role; or so it seemed.
Throughout the preseason, everything went as expected. The two played solid minutes off the bench, with Burke narrowly edging out his former Utah Jazz teammate for playing time. There was excitement brewing around Burke and the expectation was that he would operate as the backup point.
So far through four games however, Neto has played a grand total of nine minutes while Burke is still looking to get his first taste of in-game action. In their place, Josh Richardson has been quarterbacking the offense whenever Ben Simmons needs a breather. And it looks as though it’s going to stay that way.
The Sixers prioritize defense and versatility above most other things, which is why Richardson is the preferred option and Matisse Thybulle is the first one off the bench. So when it comes to Neto and Burke – two players who need the ball in their hands on offense and struggle on defense – they just don’t seem to fit the Sixers’ team philosophy. They are also poor fits alongside Ben Simmons due to their poor shooting, which doesn’t help either.
There may be a slight opening for minutes while Shake Milton deals with a bone bruise in his right knee. But, it doesn’t bode well that neither could find much playing time while the Sixers were up 20+ on the Minnesota Timberwolves and Joel Embiid was disqualified.
As the season wears on and fatigue begins to set in, Neto and Burke may hear their names called more often. But for now, Neto seems to be in control of reserve duties, while Burke’s rosters spot may soon come into question. Either that, or Brett Brown is just building anticipation for when Burke finally comes in and sets the world on fire.
