Houston Rockets: Three reasons why Clint Capela will be a top three center
By T.A. Mock
It’s a block party 24/7/365
Defense is and probably will always be Clint Capela‘s biggest calling card. Athleticism fades so that means one day the lobs will too. His full court speed will fade as well. But, stellar defense like Capela’s rarely fades.
I’m not saying he’s Dikembe Mutombo but built a career predicated on defense and had a long life in the NBA. Capela could follow a similar career path to Mutombo and have a role on any NBA team for a long, long time.
In the 2017-18 season, Capela finished second in blocks per game, at 1.9, to Anthony Davis, who had 2.6 blocks per game. Capela tied for third in the entire NBA when it came to defensive rating, which is an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions. He was tied with Joel Embiid and behind Rudy Gobert and Andre Drummond.
Must Read. Bzdelik retiring doesn't leave the Rockets empty-handed. light
Capela is a burgeoning defensive juggernaut for this Houston Rockets team. He is extremely active on the defensive end of the court. And he is more skilled than all three of the players mentioned in the above paragraph. Capela has the agility and ability to legitimately cover all five positions. Check out this clip of him shutting down Steph Curry.
He has improved every single year he has been in the NBA on the defensive side of the ball. I don’t believe he’s hit his peak or is anywhere close to it for that matter. After finally getting his big-money deal this offseason, he’ll be even more motivated to take the next step here.