Panic or patience with 3 struggling Cleveland Cavaliers players

Struggling Cleveland Cavaliers: Raul Neto

Raul Neto was signed for a very specific role. When the Cavaliers decided they wanted to bring back Ricky Rubio this summer, they knew that they would need a fill-in point guard until Rubio was ready to return from the torn ACL he suffered last season. Signing Raul Neto for the minimum seemed like a brilliant move, a reliable caretaker option to back up Darius Garland.

When the Cavs added Donovan Mitchell later in the summer it only made the team less reliant on Neto, and accordingly, he hasn’t been a lock for the rotation even with Rubio out. Neto has played in 14 of the team’s 21 games thus far, averaging only 9.1 minutes per game.

The Brazilian guard is averaging only 12.7 points per 36 minutes, his lowest output in six seasons, shooting 30.8 percent from 3-point range. The Cavs have two elite shooters in the backcourt in Garland and Mitchell, so putting Neto in the game completely changes the look of the offense.

That being said, Neto is doing just about exactly what he has done the past few years. His true shooting percentage is above his career average, he has an assist percentage in line with his career mark, and his defense has been very solid. His Defensive Box Plus-Minus of 2.2 would check in just above Brook Lopez for 11th in the league if he had played enough minutes.

Neto isn’t going to razzle-dazzle you with his scoring, and his shooting could be better. What the Cavs need from him, even in a small role, is passing and defense, and that is what Neto is providing. He’s been just fine thus far, and the shooting might just come around.

Verdict: Patience