Houston Rockets: Breaking down the case for Clint Capela’s first All-Star bid

Houston Rockets big man, Clint Capela received a big contract this offseason. So far, he’s backing it up with an All-Star performance, let’s break it down.

The Houston Rockets drafted Clint Capela 15th overall in the 2014 NBA draft. The pick, at the time, appeared to be a draft-and-stash international prospect. However, Capela knew his value and pushed to come play in the NBA immediately.

The Rockets didn’t have a need for Capela as Dwight Howard was still patrolling the paint in Houston so, he was able to sit and soak in NBA life. He served as Howard’s backup for a year before taking over as a part-time starter in his second year. He showed promise in his second year but it still wasn’t clear if he’d be able to take off and become a top center.

He took on a bigger role in his third year, starting 59 of a possible 65 games. He played 24 minutes a game and averaged 12.6 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, 1.2 with a 58.2% field goal percentage. He started to step into his own and began to truly develop his game.

However, his fourth year, a contract year, had his best in store. He started every game he was healthy for and began to showcase the full potential and reason of why the Houston Rockets selected him 15th overall when it appeared that there were other guys who could’ve immediately helped the team.

Capela had a phenomenal year heading into his restricted free agency alongside James Harden and Chris Paul to lead the Rockets to the best record in franchise history. Capela averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game to go with a league-leading 65.2% field goal percentage.

It was obvious he was going to get paid this summer. For a while, his options seemed limitless but his restricted tag forced teams to keep him at arm’s length. This allowed Houston to hold their ground on what they valued him at. Finally, after about a month’s long game of chicken, Capela and the Rockets agreed to a 5 year, $90 million extension.

After struggling a little bit, along with the rest of the team, to start the season, he has really stepped up his game. He had a previous stretch of six double-doubles in a row and is currently on a stretch of five double-doubles that he’ll look to extend. His game has really taken a step forward this year in more minutes than he’s ever played.

At this current level, he is making a really convincing All-Star bid. He’s on his way to posting career highs in several categories while he’s been dominating the post. He’s morphed himself into a dominant old-school center in a league that doesn’t value them well. That being said, his season, so far, has been All-Star worthy so let’s break down his case.