NBA Draft 2013: Utah Jazz point guard Raulzinho Neto is not just a pretty face

Do you know what a good general manager does? A good general manager doesn't stop. After Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey pulled off a coup and traded away Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng for Trey Burke, and after he traded back into the first round by moving a second rounder and cash* (not coach) for Rudy Gobert . . . he went back a third time. And on that third trade he snagged Raul Neto (Raulzinho) from the Atlanta Hawks for the Brooklyn Nets 2015 second round pick that we got in the Mehmet Okur trade.

Do you know what a good point guard does?

Fundamentally a good point guard does this.

And this is the player we got at #47 (the Utah Jazz magic number where we got Mo Williams, Paul Millsap, and Kevin Murphy from before). Honestly, he wasn't even on my draft day big board. So let's go over some of his numbers here (in chronological order).

While yes, I accept the point that these are details that other Jazz blogs may not care about, but we here at SLC Dunk are super nerds who need to know these things! And yes, there are some holes in his record, but that doesn't mean we don't have something to work with here.

Raul has played all over the place, and played at high levels of competition. He was on the Brazilian Men's Senior basketball team back when he was still eligible to be on their Under 19 team as well. That's not too shabby. Against his own age group he tears it up. Against the US Men's Senior Team? Not so much. But that's probably the case for most human beings.

He does not appear to be super fast but makes the fundamentally sound play every time. I like that he's not afraid to finish close to the rim, but I'm sure part of that is his skill level compared to the size of his opponents. Larry Sanders will eat all of those layups alive, and this guy will need to learn a floater.

Neto has two more years on his contract in Spain and is flying into Los Angeles tomorrow to have a meeting with his agent (older Jazz fans may remember Dan Fegan's name from back during the Shandon Anderson saga) to discuss his options.

I really don't see the Jazz bringing in two rookie PGs next year without knowing if he is NBA ready right now. He's 21, but I don't think coming to the NBA at the age of 22 or 23 is going to make him an old maid. (Of course, if he spends the next two years in Europe getting injured like Raul Lopez it could be trouble) Hopefully the Jazz can pay whatever they have to in order to get him to play in the Orlando Summer League. If he shines then we bring him over.

If not? Let him get more experience and try again next year, when his buyout will be half as much as it is now.

He looks good, and looks like a point guard. Two things I'm sure our fans have no problems with : )

I bet his girlfriend is some sort of exotic goddess that makes Alex Len's woman look like Popeye Jones' wife. Good, now that I've offended everyone let's get back to basketball.

Basketball is something Neto was born to play, and while I don't know if he will ever be more than a draft and stash (I see you Ante Tomic!), I do know that we Jazz fans are very happy to have him! I'd love to see him in summer league if possible, so fingers crossed that Dan Fegan has good news tomorrow.

Also if he plays here David Locke knows a really good Brazilian place.