Two-time Olympian racing to debut for Bullets

The Brisbane Bullets opened the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 Season with genuine belief, built around star point guard Arnas Velička and his command of the floor. Five games in, that plan was thrown into disarray.

Velička is facing another two months on the sidelines with a lower-limb injury, leaving the Bullets scrambling to fill the void at the most important position on the court.

For Bullets Head Coach Will Weaver, the answer was obvious: Raul Neto.

While the timeline on Neto’s Brisbane debut currently stands at “as soon as possible”, Weaver said it would be “awesome” to have him available for Wednesday night’s Ignite Cup clash against Tasmania.

“It’s not up to me,” Weaver said on Monday. “Like I’m not the one with a PhD or an MD or a physio background. So we’re really cautious with guys and making sure that we don’t get out over our skis.

“But yeah, we didn’t bring him here to hang out. So when he’s ready to rock, we’re ready for him.”

Weaver said the search for Velička’s replacement had narrowed quickly, with the Bullets needing a guard “who’s available, who is healthy, who’s high enough level to fill the big gap”.

One name sat at the top of the list.

“Raul is somebody that lots of teams including us were interested in previously,” Weaver said. “And so Raul was our first call. And yeah, we were really gratified that he was excited about it like we were.”

The connection runs back years. Weaver had already worked with Neto’s agent, Aylton Tesch, when he brought fellow Brazilian Didi Louzada to the Sydney Kings.

He also had a close-up view of Neto during his NBA career, as an assistant coach watching on while Neto played.

“I got to study him really closely in that environment,” Weaver said. “And so, I’m eager for him to be able to bring some of that savvy veteran problem solving to our group as soon as we’re able to integrate [him].

“I really value what his résumé represents in terms of being able to be a problem solver, being able to fit into a group that he hasn’t ever met until just a few minutes ago.”

That résumé speaks for itself. Neto was drafted 47th in 2013 and went on to spend eight seasons in the NBA between 2015 and 2023. He has also been a long-time fixture for Brazil, representing his country at two Olympic Games and multiple FIBA Basketball World Cups.

In Utah, he played alongside Boomers star and Melbourne United veteran Joe Ingles.

Ingles was one of the first to text Neto when news of the move broke, and the pair’s four seasons together with the Jazz shaped the kind of player, and teammate, Neto became.

“He (Ingles) {was a little bit more experienced when I got to the NBA and he definitely helped me adapt to the league,” Neto said.

Now he’s the one with the experience to pass on, and that’s exactly what he intends to do in Brisbane.

“I’m at the point of my career that my individual numbers, I don’t really care much about it,” he said. “If I can help the team and help the other players to get better with my experience, with my knowledge of the game, and being a leader, being a point guard on the court, that’s more important for me than what I’m going to do individually,” he said.

“Of course, I’m a competitor. Winning games is what I play for. So hopefully we can win games first and hopefully I can leave a mark on everybody and be able to help the team however they need.”

After a few months without a team, Neto is eager to get going, and he’s confident he can make an impact quickly, even if the travel takes a toll early.

“I hope to be able to step on the court and make an impact and help the team as soon as possible,” Neto said. “I’ve had enough work, I’ve had enough experience in my career to not need so much practice and not need so much game to be able to perform.”

Brisbane is also sweating on the fitness of big men Jacob Holt and Tyrell Harrison, after both left with ankle injuries early in the fourth quarter of last Thursday’s 115-105 win over South East Melbourne.

Neto could make his debut as early as Wednesday night against the Tasmania JackJumpers, live on ESPN from 7.30pm AEDT.