Houston Rockets: 5 goals for Clint Capela in 2017-18
5. Improve stamina
As mentioned earlier, Capela posted career-highs in nearly all major statistical categories. However, it wasn’t mentioned that last season he played just 23.9 minutes per game.
That low minutes load is a result of 1) the Rockets’ great depth at center and 2) Capela’s issues with stamina. Last season the Rockets weren’t sure if Capela would be able to handle the starting job for the entire course of a season, and Nene impressed enough in training camp and preseason to spark a real debate over who should start.
The former first round pick eventually got the nod to start, but essentially split minutes with Nene in the beginning of the season.
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As the season went on, Nene’s minutes and workload decreased as the coaching staff wanted to ensure that he would be healthy for later in the season and in the playoffs, so Capela’s minutes increased slightly.
However, then Capela went down with an injury in December, putting him out of action for a month. When he returned to action his minutes were lowered in order to get him back up to speed, but as he got more comfortable toward the final months of the regular season, his minutes jumped up.
In March and April, Capela played over 25 minutes per game, and his numbers jumped up as a result. In March he averaged 13.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while in April he averaged 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
If Capela is able to improve his stamina and play 27-28 minutes per game next season, there is no reason why he couldn’t average 16 points, 10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Houston still has incredible depth at center (especially after adding Tarik Black in the offseason), but Capela will be counted on to be on the court for longer stretches this season.