NBA: Ranking The League's Top 21-Year-Olds

Ranking The Top NBA Players By Age: Age 21

Nov 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks to pass the ball in front of Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the second quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 19, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Houston Rockets forward Clint Capela (15) dunks against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Rockets won 116-100. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Clint Capela

One positive for the Houston Rockets in this oil spill of a season has been the emergence of Clint Capela, who has shown enough promise in his second season to make the front office think long and hard about re-signing Dwight Howard this summer when he opts out of the final year of his contract.

With D-12 being 30 years old and set to command a max contract from someone in free agency, Capela’s 7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20.2 minutes per game don’t scream “immediate replacement,” but he’d certainly be a third-year leap candidate if he were bumped up to full-time starting center next year.

His best game of the season — an 18-point, 11-rebound, three-steal performance in a five-point win over the New York Knicks — may have come back in November, but Capela has the length and athleticism to be a very good two-way player in this league, even if his offense is severely limited to this point.

As he gets stronger, more confident and adds more offensive moves to his repertoire, Capela will continue to establish himself as a viable starter in this league and one of the big steals from the 2014 NBA Draft class.

Next: No. 6