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

His rebounding game has improved mightily

Clint Capela is really an athletic marvel. He stands at 6’10” and weighs 240 lbs. So, he’s not the prototypical, stay-in-the-paint big man. He can run the court with nearly any player the Houston Rockets will come across.

His athleticism has played well in his rebounding game as well. However, until last year, he never really dominated on the boards. This could have been due to his lack of true play strength early on in his career but in his fifth year, he’s truly at an elite level when it comes to rebounding.

So far this season, Capela is averaging 12 rebounds a game which is only one rebound more than he had last year but he’s appeared way more dominant on the glass. He has had at least four games of 15 or more rebounds and only five games with single digit rebounds.

One of the biggest adjustments he’s made in his game this year is his aggression on the offensive glass. He has improved his numbers from 3.3 offensive rebounds per game to 4.7. In the Rockets second match up with the Pistons this past week, Capela grabbed 12 offensive boards against an elite rebounder in Andre Drummond.

Capela ranks in the top 10 in total rebounds per game though, based on the past five games, he should be able to climb even higher on those rankings. He also ranks in the top 10 in offensive rebound percentage while ranking in the top 20 and top 15 in defensive rebound percentage and total rebound percentage, respectively.

Capela has really elevated his rebounding game this season even though the stats only show about a one rebound increase. If he continues the surge he has been on, the rest of the NBA world will have to choice but to recognize him as a truly elite rebounder.