How about his FT shooting though? 72% so far. Improving by almost 20% each season since 2014-15 (17% lol).
I honestly think our center position is locked down. I like where we are currently at. The problem is how much Capela will cost next year. I think the position we need to improve the most is find a really great 2 way forward. Lebron, wink wink. We don't need big 4 to take down Warriors. Lebron might be a long shot, but is it? The off season will be really interesting. I think our current success this year is going to make us really enticing for this free agency.
I've been beating the drum for trading Clint, just because his stats and highlights are so inflated by playing with two killer playmakers. But the Spurs game makes a strong case for paying him. His has tightened his defense, has become more reliable as a finisher, and is adding to his repertoire. That Euro step from the top of the key to start the 4th: Wow. Even with inflated stats, his actual value and fit with our backcourt are at a level that might be hard to replace. Suppose you're Morey, leery of the cap hit and scouting for a better or cheaper-but-just-as-useful replacement (analogous to, say, Parsons out and Ariza in). In Clint's case, who would that target be?
Dedmond before he got paid by Hawks. Still like Bismack Biyombo, Nerlens Noel, maybe Joel Bolomboy too.
The thing about Capela is that most of the time, even when he is have a super-efficient game, he doesn't really "wow" me. I mean, he is great at rolling to the rim and finishing both above the rim and with touch, but he doesn't get up to the stratosphere like DeAndre Jordan or make any fancy moves. He blocks plenty of shots on D but they are mostly just business-as-usual blocks. I just kind of wonder how he would be in a playoff series given the weird situation with bigs in the NBA. I think this will change a lot of what happens this summer.
I am also amazed at how high DJ gets up there, but Clint's not too shabby. He just needs to learn the timing and at only 22 years old, he's got plenty of time to learn that and could be the most feared rim protector out there. When talking about guarding PG's on an island, I would be more comfortable with Clint than DJ. This is what we and GS does to the opponnent's C. He showed what he was capable off against SA bigs and Gasol but are there other bigs in the playoffs that could dominate him that much?
I wouldn't say it's his only weakness. I was encouraged by his improved finishing against the Spurs. He did have an easy matchup against Pau. I hope he will do better against better, quicker, and stronger defenders as the season goes along. More work with Lucas on his FT's should help bring it up to around 65 percent.
Clint's big strengths is he runs the floor great for a big, has excellent hands, he's great finishing around the rim, and he moves really well on defense. I think he's improved with his defensive court awareness. He's also a fantastic defensive rebounder. Strength-wise, he can still be bullied down low, but that's becoming less and less of an issue in today's league.
and his lack of diva ego. Clint is happy and fine being the best at what he is He is not trying to be Shaq/Hakeem/etc I am not saying he could not improve to be an all time great I am also not saying he shouldn't try or that is lacks abition What I am saying is that he is just doing what is best for the team without b****ing and moaning about touches and isht Rocket River
more Capela X-Factor analysis: http://www.nba.com/article/2017/12/...-rockets-missing-clint-capelas-inside-punch#/ Injury-riddled Houston Rockets missing Clint Capela's inside punch Matt Petersen, NBA.com Dec 30, 2017 12:14 AM ET 3:39 The GameTime crew breaks down the Rockets at Wizards game where the Wizards sent the Rockets to their fifth straight loss. With the right pieces in place, Mike D'Antoni's offense is an avalanche capable of devastating everything in its path. It did just that through the first two months of the season, racking up an impressive 25-4 record highlighted by a 14-game winning streak of shooting destruction. Then the holidays arrived and the Rockets received two big lumps of coal in their stocking: injuries to All-NBA point guard Chris Paul (adductor strain) and blooming big man Clint Capela (calf, orbital fracture). The result: a five-game losing streak punctuated by a defeat to the inconsistent Wizards on Friday night. Houston already proved earlier this season it can do much more than tread water without Paul, who missed a month of the season after opening night. The team went 11-4 in that time because it happened to have another all-world playmaker who could shoulder heavy minutes in the meantime (James Harden). The same cannot be said concerning the Rockets' performance without Capela, whose absence looms much larger than the 25.6 minutes per game he plays. His role is as vital in its own way as that of the point guard(s). For D'Antoni, he is a poor man's Amar'e Stoudemire on offense and a zillionaire's Stoudemire on defense, the combination of which allows all those whirling perimeter wheels to leave tread marks on the hardwood. Capela is averaging career-highs in nearly every statistical category. He will get serious All-Star consideration, especially if Paul's own injury woes disqualify him in voters' eyes. more at the link
I am a long time fan of his. He is still developing. He is very young and too thin. As he fills out and refines his skills, I think he has All Star potential. Laugh if you wish.
