I am excited for this kid whether it would be with the Rockets or not. I am sure other GM's are seeing this too and having the same reaction like us. His trade value has increased and his salary is trade friendly. Which only means, he can be an important trade piece in landing another high quality player.
I'm not sure there are many cases of someone going from being bewildered and confused in NBA games against backup players to contributing meaningful minutes in a playoff run during the same season. But hey, what do I know... maybe this kid'll be an exception. :grin:
One thing I love that I just picked up on, is when he does block a shot he's not leaping off his feet very far and getting off balance on his way back to the floor. This allows him to recover very well and be in position for another block attempt or return to a solid defensive stand. Too many times a layer will fake pump the back man to get him off his find and either draw a foul or have a good look at the basket. Capelas legnth allows him to block shots while actually on the ground or slight off the ground. LOVE that.
He is like Deke in this regard. Deke could block shots without jumping. Granted Deke was 3 inches taller.
The kid looked like a deer in the headlights moreso than incompetent when with the Rockets. With the Vipes he's just playing ball, the nervousness should go away the more reps he gets. Again, he just couldn't be more one dimensional and offensively inept than Dorsey.
I'm sure u were one of the same guys who thought the same about Whiteside when we had him. Capela is much more talented than Dorsey right now, forget upside.
That's pretty cool. Okafor: 1 for 9, 5 pts, 7 reb, 1 blk in 27 min. Capela: 8 for 21, 19 pts, 20 reb, 3 blks in 25 min. And Capela went 1 for 5 from 3. That brought his FG% down.
He is more talented, but he lacks confidence. Partly because of lack of experience and size. He will need a very solid off-season, and another stint in the D-League next season, before he is ready for the NBA IMO.
Have you seen the guy's form on his 15 footer? He rips the net with it. Plus he's got some of the best hands for a big man in traffic i've seen in a Rocket uniform since Tjones.
Blows my mind that anyone who saw him play a single minute for the Rockets this year could think that this guy can help out this year. He's a couple of years away, guys.
I wanna see the kid prosper. But every NBA games he's played in he's look beyond terrible. Most likely nerves. But I'd like him to get one more chance if Morey stubbornly decides not to address our backup center position before the playoffs
He was clearly nervous. He was making uncharacteristic mistakes. If you've seen him play in the d-league, there was a clear difference in confidence there compared to his few minutes in the NBA. Remember, he didn't even play a preseason game in a Rockets uniform because he was injured. Even some preseason minutes next year will be extremely helpful.
