If Smith resigns and D-Mo has recovered from the back surgery by opening night, I would imagine T-Jones is the odd man out. Unless they're planning to do a D-Wade with Dwight and have him sit out B2Bs to rest that knee in which case you'd want T-Jones on the roster for extra depth in the front court. But I can't see the Rockets giving big extensions to Dwight, D-Mo, AND T-Jones(and maybe even Smith if he does a 2-year deal with a player option) in 2016, so I'd expect T-Jones to be dealt no later than the trade deadline next year(barring the team being on a tear and steamrolling toward 60+ wins).
D-Mo and Jones are RFA in 2016 so I suspect 1 will get traded before the deadline or this summer. I think it is stupid to go into RFA with all the cap space everywhere with 2 guys at the same position. They both will get big offers knowing you can't sign both.
A trade for Aldridge? The rockets are doing well right now, Aldridge may want to come here, but personally I do not want to give up Ariza.
Does anyone find it amazing that Clint Capela had free throw issues much like Josh and Howard....only to somehow completely alter his form and correct those within a matter of weeks or a month? Wonder if Morey would allow him to work on perfecting a 15-18 foot J ala Lamarcus Aldridge or if he will just work with dream to do post game and 7-10 foot fade aways/hooks. This kid is what I've been wanting Morey to get for some time....lengthy defender who's not a tweener 4 like Landry/Jones/Scola/Hayes/Patterson/Morris.
This is why intentionally fouling Capela never made sense to me. Actually a decent FT shooter compared to others on our roster.
I really really do like Capela and all, but weren't we saying the same stuff (so much potential, comparisons to Dream/Dikembe/take your pick) about 5% Clint that we said about Thabeet a few years ago? Let's take a deep breath and appreciate what we have right now... and that's a young raw talent that is really excited to get some minutes and play in a big time situation. We can't have this knee jerk reaction and compare him to all these greats right now, we're just setting ourselves up for disappointment.
If he keeps improving, I can see him being a legit back up C for Dwight next year and then moving into the starting line up once Dwight either moves on or starts to exit his prime.
Capela reminds me a young Joakim Noah with his ability to cover and guard perimeter players while also having great rebounding instincts and shotblocking ability to affect and disrupt a game thabeet was a bum, who never once showed any talent, he was just tall in college and thats what got him drafted
Capela has shot 55% in Europe, 60% in the D league, and 52% in the playoffs on free throws. The 15 misses in a row in the regular season was a fluke.
When did you ever see Thabeet display this type of athleticism and coordination. We have a 7 footer that can jump out the gym and move laterally enough to keep quick guards in front of him. And he appears to have a brain and work ethic. What's not to like?
Not really. He's shown that he's the kind of player who seems to learn very quickly. At first he couldn't buy a basket, even an alleyoop dunk. Once he broke through in that Toronto game, he's been able to finish around the hoop ever since. Same with free throws. Once he got over that 0-15 start and made 1 out of 2(I think it was at Charlotte), he's been hitting at least 50% ever since. Even Hack-a-Capela by Carlisle and Kerr didn't work. He's also gotten a lot better at defensive rotations since Game 1 vs Dallas. I can't wait to see how much he develops once he's got an entire season under his belt as Dwight's backup(and possibly starter if Dwight sits out B2Bs).
I never said I didn't like him, in fact I started off with "I really really like Capela," and honestly I DO LIKE CAPELA! I love the intensity he's playing with, I'm just not ready to crown him as a potential KG/Dream/Dikembe. That's all I'm saying.
...Also, Capela is listed at 6' 10". ...Also, Thabeet led his team to the Final 4 and was Big East DPOY and NCAA National DPOY. Not a bum in college, obviously a bust in the pros though.
he was 7'3 its easy to average 4.4 blocks per game when your the tallest guy on the court and midly athletic
+1 Spot on. More than anything this is what I have come away with regarding Capela in these playoffs. Great footwork. He covers ground very well. He can show on pick and rolls and cover guards. He has great fluid movement. In today's NBA where everything is spacing, having a center with his mobility is HUGE. He just needs to bulk up a bit and needs more seasoning. It is CRAZY that he has played more NBA Playoff minutes than regular season minutes. And will probably get a bunch of minutes in game 2. I am still not feeling the Ibaka comparison. Maybe defensively? But Capela doesn't have near the jumpshot that Ibaka has. I see more of a Tyson Chandler/DeAndre Jordan comparison. Good defender/shot blocker/rebounder that can score on pick n rolls and put backs. Also, love Capela's BB IQ. He is getting it, and quickly. Also love his confidence.
I don't care about comparing him to other players. What impresses me about him besides his athleticism is that he makes good decisions out there once he knows how he's supposed to play. He's got a brain. He seems to learn very quickly.
That pass that Capela made in the lane back to Prigs for the layup in that GS game... stiffs don't make that play. That's just good basketball feel.
His hands and feet are elite. As good as anyone I've seen at that size outside Hakeem and Kevin Garnett. Actually Kevin Garnett is the closest comparison I have on the defensive end. On the offensive end, we haven't seen what he can do if given freedom, so I reserve judgement. He can catch a ball in traffic with the best of them though.
