Houston Rockets Rumors: 3 guys who need to step up after Capela’s injury

Marquese Chriss, C

The Houston Rockets acquired Marquese Chriss in a multi-player deal during the offseason that saw the team ship Ryan Anderson and De’Anthony Melton to the Suns. In that same deal, the Rockets also received Brandon Knight.

Unfortunately, both Chriss and Knight have missed a lot of time due to injuries though both players are now healthy and working on earning their spots in the rotation. Neither have quite been able to fully acclimate themselves into the rotation as of yet but Capela’s injury could help Chriss to be able to carve out a role.

Chriss has all of the athletic tools necessary to be a solid big man in today’s NBA. He is a quick athlete with some speed and he has some nice hops to boot. In the past, Chriss has also shown a slight penchant for the three ball though that ability might be declining slightly.

Chriss’ athletic profile mirrors that of Capela’s quite well, actually. They’re both extremely athletic with tremendous length. If the Houston Rockets can harness some of his raw athleticism and get Chriss to play like a Capela-lite, they’ll be in great shape.

However, this is far from a guarantee as Chriss has yet to display the ability to string together consistent play in his career. This Rockets team is better equipped to do so than any Suns team that he was on was. Here’s to hoping Chriss can rise to the challenge and finally begin to actualize his immense potential as a big man in today’s NBA. The Rockets desperately need it now.