Raul Neto is providing Cavs with a big-time jolt of energy

Based on talk surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers, and him reportedly working his way back to game shape with practices, it seems as if Ricky Rubio is close to returning from the torn ACL he suffered a bit over a year ago. One has to temper expectations, but Rubio is still a player that can make a sizeable impact in his minutes for the Cavaliers, based on his playmaking abilities on both ends, his elite vision and leadership, both on and off the floor.

That being said, while Rubio should have his chunk of minutes upon his return, and one would assume his minutes could gradually increase, recently, it has been encouraging to see Raul Neto make his presence felt off the bench.

Neto is not typically going to be a crucial offensive contributor, and on the surface, his 3.2 points per game this season demonstrate that. He’s not necessarily going to knock down three-point shots off the catch consistently, historically, either, and on the season, has shot 34.6 percent from three, on 1.0 attempts per game. He’ll hit some catch-and-shoot looks when he’s open, though.

But, Neto is giving the Cavaliers energy in his minutes in recent games, at times in instances with Darius Garland missing time due to a sprained thumb, of which Garland is currently dealing with even amid his return.

Neto has given the Cavs a big-time jolt in recent games, and could be making an argument for perimeter stopper minutes.

In the last five games, Neto has had 16.9 minutes per outing, and has had 6.4 points and 2.4 assists per contest. He’s had a plus-minus of plus-5.0 in that stretch, which has been second on the Cavaliers only behind Donovan Mitchell.

In both games against the Phoenix Suns, Neto was a crucial reason for Cleveland to coming up with those wins, too, as he had 14 points in Wednesday’s 90-88 win at home. And he was the defensive catalyst in Cleveland’s 112-98 win on Sunday at Phoenix.

Neto’s point-of-attack pressure on the perimeter has made a real difference for the Cavaliers defense, as he’s forced opponents into some compromising spots on the floor, and cut into possession time leading to some worse shots. That’s typically what he’s been able to do at other stops in his career, did in the past two seasons with the Washington Wizards, and at other points, such as the Philadelphia 76ers.

Neto has given the Cavs a boost on that end with his attention to detail preventing drivers and shot creators from getting to their preferred spots, or forcing them into rim protection. It was telling how in his 11 minutes on Sunday at Phoenix, how he was a plus-nine, and his defensive efforts against Duane Washington Jr. played a significant role in allowing the Cavaliers to seize control, albeit in a game without Devin Booker still and then, without Chris Paul.

Additionally, though the Cavaliers had a less than stellar second half at the Denver Nuggets on Friday, Neto was a bright spot, with six points and five assists in his 20 minutes, in which he was a plus-two. He aided Cleveland defensively in his time in there as well, as opposed to most of Cleveland in that outing, against one of the league’s best offenses.

Neto has been a guy whose had his share of DNPs this season, as evidenced by his minutes being spiratic and him appearing in 27 games thus far. And with Rubio nearly back, his opportunities may be limited, objectively.

However, he could give the Cavaliers meaningful minutes as a defensive specialist still in spurts, and for meaningful insurance behind Garland/Rubio, Neto is still a nice piece to have. He has made some really nifty passes in recent games, too, and has proven to be a capable situational driver, as he displayed with Washington.

So looking onward, perhaps the 30-year-old veteran in Neto still can receive chances to make his imprint on games, and regardless, he’s a player who looks to be playable depth for Cleveland if needed.