Ah, Capela! Center is on roll playing his role to perfection
Clint Capela showcased his sense of humor, allowing it to shine for those that don’t purchase a ticket and get to see the timeout videos that feature him at Rockets home games. More than that, his tweet last June was as perfect as it would prove to be prescient.
With the Rockets’ trade for Chris Paul complete, Capela photo-shopped his face over Wilt Chamberlain’s in the iconic photo in which Chamberlain held a sign with the number 100, the points he had scored that 1962 night in Pennsylvania.
Capela replaced “100” with the message “More Lobs” and sent out the twitter handles of James Harden and Paul.
Nearly six months later, no one has been a more effective pick-and-roll finisher than Capela, with Monday’s dunk-fest the latest demonstration of his ascent since he succeeded Dwight Howard — who returns to Toyota Center on Wednesday — as an often overlooked key to the Rockets’ offense at center.
“As crucial as are the point guards and the shooters, you have to have that force in the middle that runs the floor,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s doing pretty good.”
He is doing so well, only Memphis’ Marc Gasol has scored more pick-and-roll points than Capela, but his 63 field goals after receiving the pass in a pick and roll are just
three more than Capela’s and have come with 38 more attempts.
Capela leads the NBA in field-goal percentage, making 67.7 percent of his shots, and he is scoring 67.9 percent of the time he is targeted in pick and roll. Not coincidentally, his 75 dunks lead the NBA.
Chemistry with Harden
Averaging career highs of 13.7 points and 11 rebounds, Capela is on pace to become the only player in NBA history to average at least 13 points and 11 rebounds in fewer than 26 minutes per game.
Most of all, he has shown the sort of on-court, high-speed chemistry with Harden that Howard never entirely developed, with Harden’s career-high tying 17 assists on Monday leading to the bulk of Capela’s career-high 28 points.
“I know exactly when to roll,” Capela said. “I know exactly how to make the big go on James and just get behind the big. I know the details of he goes quick. I just love it. I love it.”
That ability to embrace his role had been a large part of his success in the Rockets’ offense even before D’Antoni took over and made Harden a point guard with the chemistry on the court so clear that the Rockets were more confident from moving on from Howard’s three seasons in the middle.
“He gets it,” Harden said. “He understands it. He knows what his role is and he knows how to perfect that role and be the best he can be at that role in order for our team to be great. Some people just don’t understand that. Every night, he has to go out there and protect the rim, rebound the basketball, run the floor and finish, that’s a big role for our team.”
It is a crucial part of the offense, leaving defenses mostly with bad choices. In the past three games, the Jazz sought to drop Rudy Gobert into the lane to take away lobs, but that let Harden and Paul operate easily around screens, getting good shots or drawing the defense to set up 3s. The Trail Blazers switched to take away 3s and lobs but were burned one-on-one. The Pelicans shaded DeMarcus Cousins to take away Harden and Paul’s drives, but that let Capela dunk the night away.
“We have answers for a lot of stuff a lot of teams don’t have,” D’Antoni said. “That makes us a very efficient offensive team.
“Some of the passes were served on a pretty good platter. James and Chris both are the best I’ve ever seen at lobs and knowing the right timing and whether to hit the roll guy or hitting the guy spotting up.”
Running against the best
Capela still gives up size or strength to many centers, as he did against Cousins and will against Howard. That makes his ability to run the floor vital.
Though all Rockets centers eventually face the shadow cast by Hakeem Olajuwon, Capela does have at least that one thing in common with the legend in the front row, as was especially true Monday when he showed the speed and determination to block a shot on one end and finish a fast break on the other.
“This is my strength, No. 1, against all those big guys,” Capela said. “Every, every single time I get a (chance), I just go. I’m out. Whenever we get a steal, a defensive rebound, I’m out. Whenever I see they put their heads down if they don’t get a call, I just go.”
That all came together unusually well Monday. But as he predicted in June, more than anything, Capela has shown an aptitude for running pick and roll to grab more lobs — unless topped by a comedic ability to express it.