The NBA Twitter world has been in disarray since the Finals ended. From Dennis Rodman making diplomatic visits to North Korea to our annual discussion of how good Nikola Jokic is, we’ve been in full offseason mode. I thought I’d do my part to soothe tensions by making a completely pointless list of the best young players in the game. Up next, the Houston Rockets’ Clint Capela.
Clint Capela was one of the standout bigs in the NBA playoffs. Just how good can the Rockets’ center be?
A few notes to consider:
- Playoff potential (or performance) is weighed heavily. Players who have a major weakness to be exploited will be docked accordingly, at least until it’s somewhat rectified.
- The list is a ranking based on projecting the players going forward, not a ranking of how good the players are right now.
- I haven’t included anyone from the upcoming draft class. I have too much self-respect to watch college basketball, nevermind summer league.
- This is a list of the best talent under 23. The best. All of these guys are really good. If I happen to put one guy over your favorite player, it’s not that I hate your favorite player or team. Please try to remember this before you set fire to my Twitter mentions calling me an idiot (though you certainly might be right in a more general sense).
- The cutoff point, age-wise, was anyone still listed as 23 or under via Basketball-Reference.
Up next, the league’s up-and-coming centers. Or Unicorns, as they’re more commonly known.
Number Four: Clint Capela
Capela (14 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks) finished second in Most Improved Player voting in 2017-18. Often referred to as a “cog” with the Houston Rockets, it might be more accurate to classify Capela as a star.
Capela bossed the first two rounds of the playoffs. He was like a cat amongst the pigeons, torturing the frontlines of Utah and Minnesota with his rebounding (12.2 per game), defense (2.8 blocks) and hustle. It’s easy to credit his success to his All-NBA teammates, but there are layers to Capela’s game the average fan doesn’t acknowledge.
Capela was one of the best rebounders in the league last season, both on the defensive and offensive glass. The Rockets’ offensive rebound percentage plummeted when Capela sat, from 23.1 percent with the big man on court to 19.2 with him off (per NBA.com’s impact data). He just outworks guys:
Capela can protect the rim, but his defense doesn’t end there. He’s one of the better centers in the league defending on the perimeter. He’s an excellent disrupter. While he hasn’t quite mastered the percentages game like his teammate Chris Paul (those split-second calculations of when and where to reach), Capela seldom leaves teammates out to dry. Watch him pry the ball away from Jordan Clarkson on the switch:
The Rockets refined their switch-heavy defensive scheme all season in preparation for the Warriors. Though Capela’s minutes took a dip during those stretches when Mike D’Antoni opted for PJ Tucker and smaller line-ups, he was still able to hold his own for the most part.
Evolving Game
Capela isn’t tasked with play-making (playing with two Hall-of-Fame point guards will do that), but his ability as a passer is good and improving as a five. He can work dribble-handoffs well with his screening ability. Panic isn’t an issue when surrounded after offensive rebounds and the lay-up isn’t there — Capela can ping low-high passes to shooters. If defenses overload to stop Paul or Harden, Capela can find the shooter on the weakside. He’s even starting to show some nice feel in the give-and-go:
Capela is a fantastic screen-setter. The Rockets entire offensive system last season was predicated upon Harden and Paul hunting favorable match-ups to attack in isolation. For that reason, Capela doesn’t get credited with many screen-assists (a screen leading directly to a bucket). With three per game, Capela ranked 24th in the league — a number which undervalues his ability to get teammates open looks.
Capela’s best league analogue might be Golden State’s Klay Thompson. Both guys accept their roles within a larger ecosystem without complaint. It’s difficult to fathom a situation where Capela wouldn’t be successful (save maybe Orlando). Klay is similarly translatable. Still, it’s reasonable to question the degree to which they’d be successful.
Capela’s willingness to stick to a very limited role (screen, roll, rebound, and defend) is to be commended. Debilitating injuries and personality aside, one of the key factors in Dwight Howard’s regression from superstar to vagabond has been his unwillingness to embrace a similar role.
The only real criticism you can level at Capela: he was limited to just 27.5 minutes a contest last season. Part of that is the frantic nature of his game doesn’t lend itself well to a heavier workload, but the principle reason was conditioning. The Rockets lost some key pieces in the offseason. The onus will be on Capela to step-up and take on even more responsibility.
Title Window
Title windows are ephemeral. They rarely last as long as we expect. Many league observers view the Rockets 2017-18 campaign as their best shot. A punch-drunk swing in the 12th. “The Warriors are too good” is the common refrain, but things change in the NBA all the time. Kevin Durant might not even be a Warrior in 12 months time.
Chris Paul’s deal is massive, and we have no idea exactly how he will age or how burdensome his contract might become. Still, as long as the Rockets have Capela, Harden, and one of the league’s smartest front offices, they will be in the mix. The league’s premier lob connection is in it for the long haul.
Let’s be clear: Clint Capela could have placed much higher on this list. He is infinitely more proven in the playoffs than a few guys ranked ahead of him. In fact, in many ways, Capela outperformed a magnificent regular season when the games started to matter. Low-usage/maintenance guys who sync perfectly with star talent are like gold in the NBA. Capela is one of the best you’ll find.
