After the emergence of the double big lineup last season, Houston knew they had something special. The Rockets decided to fully commit to the double big lineup this year by signing Clint Capela, because they believed they had something they could deploy into the upcoming campaign. Caplea returned to the squad that first selected him, and given that Capela would rank third on the Rockets’ depth chart, the signing came as a surprise.
Capela is 32 years old, but he still has the potential to start for
multiple teams or, at the very least, be a backup center. In fact, the signing makes more sense the more you consider it. Adams had lost a lot of time in his first two seasons, so the Rockets gradually reintroduced him into the lineup last season. The Rockets held him back in one of the two back-to-back games last season, despite the fact that he began to play more.
Even though Adams finished the year without any problems, the Rockets will probably continue to be careful with the seasoned center. Capela can help with that, particularly in the second half of the season.
The Rockets only play one back-to-back game before January. The Rockets play 13 sets of back-to-back games from January to the completion of the regular season. The Rockets coaching staff hasn’t confirmed yet that Adams will sit out some games, but the main reason you bring a player like Capela to your team is to have the ability to rest Sengun, but more importantly Adams.
In order to guarantee that the Rockets have good big men throughout the season and are able to control the minutes of their veteran centers, Capela fills in as a vital third center behind Sengun and Adams.
Capela, a seasoned player with multiple postseason appearances, including trips to the Conference Finals, adds invaluable experience to a Houston club hoping to contend.
For a club that plays large lineups and depends on interior defense and offensive rebounding, Capela’s exceptional timing on shot contests and strength on the boards are essential. Additonally, Capela’s ability to play with Sengun and Adams gives Houston the size and physicality they need inside, allowing them to stick to their preferred “double-big” style, and allows Houston to keep Adams healthy for the playoffs. His presence enables the Rockets to be conservative with his workload and refrain from playing him back-to-back.
With all that said, I hope you all are getting ready for this Rockets season as pre-season action starts Monday at Toyota vs the Atlanta Hawks with a 7:00 tip-off time, and as always, GO ROCKETS!
