Capela raising offensive profile, and NBA getting the hint
Opponents giving center a show of respect by crafting defenses to counter his strengths
WASHINGTON — In the NBA, respect can be expressed in a variety of ways but might be most sincere when not spoken. Game plans tend to show what is really thought, and Rockets center Clint Capela quickly got the message Saturday in Cleveland.
The Rockets force opponents to make choices, with James Harden coming around screens, shooters at the 3-point line and Capela rolling to the rim. The Cavaliers chose to back up big men to cut off Capela.
The 6-10 Rockets center might have preferred a night filled with lobs and slams, but he could also take the strategy as a compliment.
“They were going to change,” Capela said. “Now, they are more aware of the lob. They were not going to let the lob go, so the guards had an open lane to the rim. I’m fine with that, too.”
Teams would not ordinarily worry so greatly about a few Capela buckets, even if they come with the kind of slick Harden lobs and two-handed jams that draw oohs and ahhs, even on the road. But Capela has become more of a reliable offensive force, not just in finishing alley oops but taking passes inside and finishing, often with his left hand, around the rim.
With the Cavs working to take him away, he had 12 points Saturday, making all four of his attempts. But in his past seven
games, Capela has averaged 20.4 points, making 73.3 percent of his shots. He has bumped his shooting percentage to 65.4 this season, tied for third in the NBA and better than the 65.2 percent he hit to lead the league last season.
His 17.3 points per game are a career best, 3.4 more than last season, with his 29 points in Detroit on Friday a career high. He also is averaging career highs for rebounds (11.9) and blocked shots (two), but the scoring has increased most conspicuously while he has surged across the board after an inconsistent start.
“I was just trying to be aggressive,” Capela, 24, said. “I don’t even think, honestly. I just play basketball with confidence, play with more confidence. Whenever I feel I can score, I just go in and score. This is what I do. I think I just do it more now.”
Some of that comes with improved conditioning. After he played 43½ minutes in Detroit on Friday (another career high), Capela said: “My body feels good. I’m ready to go again tomorrow night.”
He played 40 minutes in Saturday’s second half of the back-to-back.
“I do feel quicker and stronger, better touch,” Capela said. “It helps me. I just feel I got better overall.”
With that, the Rockets’ pick-and-roll has become quicker, with Capela slipping screens and beating defenders to the paint and with him and Harden connecting more often as defenders scramble to defend both.
“We can always get better at it,” Capela said. “A quicker roll. We figure it out to find each other.
“Every time that I roll, the coach always figures it out to make them choose the shooter or me. Those games I’ve been by myself. But I always know the next game I might get more or might get less baskets. That’s OK. That’s part of my role. I still enjoy it. I’m still doing the same job over and over. It won’t change a thing.”
Capela has scored in double figures in 17 consecutive games, six more than his previous high. The Cavaliers changed things by keeping their centers deep in the paint, limiting Capela’s touches but opening other options. But the Rockets welcome that to open drives or 3s. The issues in their consecutive losses have been on defense and with their depth, making Capela’s scoring vital.
“We’re doing it better,” coach Mike D’Antoni said of the Rockets’ surge in pickand-roll scoring. “He’s doing a great job. James and Chris (Paul) obviously are getting used to (playing with Capela) again, so it’s good. It depends on what the team wants to give us. They have to give us something. We just try to figure out what they have to give us, and we take advantage of it.”
The Cavs’ decision to prioritize defending Capela could be as much of a compliment as he could get. Still, D’Antoni took a shot at matching it.
“I expect Clint to be good against anybody,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who. A lot of the game depends on us. If we play well as a team, Clint will play well.”