After a rocky start which now seems like a distant memory, the Houston Rockets have been playing quality basketball behind the MVP-level play of James Harden. Harden hasn’t done it alone, as tertiary options such as Clint Capela and the recently-acquired Austin Rivers have stepped up to ensure the Rockets keep pace in an impossibly tough Western Conference.
But now with Chris Paul already sidelined, the Rockets will reportedly be without another star for at least a month. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Clint Capela will miss 4-6 weeks with a right thumb injury.
Rockets center Clint Capela will miss four to six weeks with right thumb injury, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 14, 2019
MRI showed ligament damage today on Capela, league sources said. https://t.co/JLkF06eABd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 14, 2019
With Clint Capela now also out for an extended period, the Rockets’ offense will continue to become more one-dimensional with an even larger reliance on the historic playmaking of James Harden. Capela had continued to work as a spectacular counterpart to Harden and was relied upon even more so offensively in Paul’s absence.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni will have to look elsewhere for offensive production with two of his key cogs out but his options remain sparse. Houston’s frontcourt is devoid of depth with third-year man Marquese Chriss serving as their best option off the bench and veteran Nene receiving the lowest minutes of his 18-year career.
Capela was building on last year’s excellence through the first half of his 2018-19 campaign, setting career-high scoring numbers by a wide margin thanks to a larger involvement in Houston’s attack. Through 42 games, Capela averaged 17.6 points per game to go along with an impressive 12.6 rebounds, all while shooting over 63 percent from the field.
