Emulating TD is a good idea, but TD was a very fundamentally sound scorer with 4 years of Wake Forest experience. I doubt if Capela can get even near to that level. I think his ceiling on offense is Tyson Chandler with a little more touch around the basket.
No one said he was going to be Tim Duncan. I just want him to emulate Duncan. A few basic moves that just work. His free throw stroke gives me hope that he can play out to 18 feet.
Got it, makes sense. That is going to take a lot of work and time in the off season. I hope he will make progress too. He has a long way to go on offense.
Mutombo, Duncan, Hakeem ... you should at the very minimum complete a full regular season before such ambitious comparisons.
I'm not expecting anything at this point, other than him being a good defensive player and rebounder. The point I was making is that he is the same age as Hakeem was when he was in college. He has a lot a time before he will reach his ceiling as a player. We do not know what Clint will become. But let's not sell him short either and say he can't be this or that. We just don't know. To me he seems to have some of the same qualities of both Mutombo and Hakeem. He definitely seems quicker than Mutombo, so I'm hoping he can develop a much more advanced offensive game than what Mutombo possessed. The thing I like most about Clint is he has the great natural instincts of a basketball player. Blocking shots and grabbing rebounds comes naturally to Clint.
Capela was just outstanding in the 1st quarter tonight. 6 rebounds, 1 block and 4 points. The guy goes hard after every rebound and looks comfortable with the ball in his hands. It's just preseason but he definitely looks very very good.
My favorite little nugget from last night's game was Capela's D on Vučević. Defending Vučević 1 on 1, when he is posted up is very tough to do. The dude gets his. Even against guys like Howard. So 1st post up, Vučević backs down Capela and then does his little hook. Swish. The very next post up, same 1 on 1 post-up, Vučević backs down Capela and this time Capela is more in tune. Capela times his D and reacts better, gets up high and affects Vučević's shot. Clank. The very NEXT post up, again everything the same, Vučević goes for his signature move again and Capela blocks him. Capela is picking up the game and growing before our very eyes at a lightning pace. It's fun to watch. Having a guy that can mute a guy as good as Vučević is a very awesome thing.
I would love to watch Clint defend Motie in practice... they would push each other to improve their games
Is anyone else super bummed about how Clint Capela was somehow omitted from Five Thirty Eight's CARMELO model? Of all the guys to overlook, they overlook this phenom who is leveling up every day it seems, and also had one of the highest WARP predictions when drafted. I believe it was Marcus Smart with the #1 WARP rating in the 2014 draft followed closely by Clint Capela at #2. I mean, no offense to guys like Jeremy Tyler & Chris Walker, but they even have those guys in there. http://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/carmelo/
That's what I've been saying. Paying Dwight 20-30 million per year after this season worries me. Something I noticed last night, was that Clint got position down low a couple of times and was asking for the ball. They didn't throw it to him, but it made me wonder what would happen if they did. Last year with the Vipers, they mainly just used Clint in the pick and roll plays and alley oop type plays. It's really going to be interesting when Clint develops some kind of low post offense. I have no doubt he's capable of expanding his offensive game.
No way I give Dwight $25 plus mln for the next 3 seasons with Capela in the wings waiting and actually developing a low post game and improving at the free throw line. D12's game isn't going to get better at 30 only downhill from here.
Side note: Yes, Les hired him. Les also made the comment that signing Mario Elie was a huge thing and people tended to yawn a tiit. Les has good instincts. I think he should be given more credit than he is given for that. After all, he is the overall assembler of the "team." The so-called down years have mostly been done in by the injury bug. I sure hope this year injuries are minimal so players and fans can have the privilege of seeing the maximum potential come to fruition. Be thankful the Rockets have Les as the owner.
It's just incredible how fast he's been learning and improving the game. Not necessarily skill wise (better at post ups, jumper etc), but just knowing how to react to certain situations. DraftExpress said one of his biggest weaknesses was his feel for the game. It certainly seemed that way in his first stint, but since his 2nd stint, playoff run, and his play this preseason have made that look off. It took DMo a long time to look like he belongs, but it took Capella only 2 months or so after he was first called up to just get it. That alone shows considerable potential to improve as a player even without considering physical tools. He has elite physical tools and his ability to improve himself quickly. Those 2 things has me extremely high on him.
Capela is a blend of many different big men. The things that stands out to me is his coordination for his size and length. He recovers very well and can cover a lot of space. His defense is what will keep him on the floor but it will be interesting to see his offensive game evolve.
