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Philadelphia • The Utah Jazz's thinnest position looked a little thinner Thursday, with only one healthy point guard available to practice.
A knee contusion kept Raul Neto out of action during the team's practice Thursday on the campus of Temple University. He is listed as questionable to play Friday against the 76ers.
The Brazilian point guard was injured in an awkward fall during Wednesday's season opener at Detroit. In the second quarter, Neto contested a shot and fell to the ground. He lay there for a while, clutching his knee in pain before limping off the court under his own power.
"He scared me for a minute there," forward Joe Ingles said.
Neto was able to return to play in the second half of that 92-87 defeat, which gives Jazz coach Quin Snyder hope that the injury won't be a long-term issue.
"I'd leave that to our trainers and doctors to make that determination," Snyder said when asked if the injury was serious. "I hope not. Based on the fact that he was able to go back in the game, maybe that's an indicator, although you never know."
On Wednesday night, Neto became the sixth different Jazz point guard to start opening night in as many seasons, and the first Jazz rookie to start at the position since 1979.
Neto scored eight points and dished out three assists in the 92-87 defeat. He played 26 minutes; Utah's other point guard, Trey Burke, played 15.
"[Neto] was solid," Snyder said. "That's what he's been doing. … He made a couple shots. Made our only two threes. And defensively, he's just solid."
Jazz officials will hope Neto doesn't take long to recover from his knee injury. Utah was already thin at the position entering the year after starting point guard Dante Exum tore the ACL in his left knee in August. And the Jazz have hopes for Neto's continued progress this season and fit with the roster.
"He'll get more and more comfortable the more he plays," Ingles said. "That second half, I don't know how he felt on the knee. … But he plays his role. He knows what he's out there to do. He's not out there to score 30. He knows what's out there to do and he does a great job of it."
Stockton to Bozeman
John Stockton is set to join the coaching ranks, but the legendary Jazz point guard doesn't sound like a man angling for a return to the NBA anytime soon. In an interview with the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, the league's all-time assist leader called his new assistant coaching job at Montana State University "definitely a part-time thing" and simply a chance to spend more time with his daughter, a senior on the team.
"I'm coming in when I can a couple days a week and trying to get to most of the games that we were going to try to get to anyway," Stockton said. "This isn't a big lifetime change for us or a career change. It's just an opportunity to spend some more time with her and enjoy some basketball."
Free throws
Utah will get an early look at Rookie of the Year candidate Jahlil Okafor. The Sixers center, and the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds Wednesday night in his NBA debut. … Philadelphia is expected to be without one of its best scoring threats on Friday. Forward Robert Covington, who averaged 13.5 per game last season, is dealing with an MCL sprain. … Utah committed 12 turnovers in Wednesday's loss to Detroit. After finishing 26th in the NBA last season with an average of more than 15 a game, taking care of the basketball remains a top priority for this year's Jazz.
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