Houston Rockets: 5 goals for Clint Capela in 2017-18

4. Get stronger

Capela measures in at 6’10” and 240 pounds, so on most nights he will be giving up some weight and strength to opposing centers. Of course, Capela’s slimmer frame allows him to be quicker and more agile than most big men, which is important when switching in the pick-and-roll and when running in transition.

However, Capela can hit a sweet spot by adding some weight and getting stronger while still maintaining above-average agility.

During the 2017 NBA Playoffs, the three-year veteran struggled mightily in the first round against the physical big men of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that five-game series, Capela averaged just 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game, below his regular season averages.

Compare that performance to how he fared in the second round against the aging big men of the San Antonio Spurs, where he averaged 13.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while playing 29.3 minutes per game. The young big man had some downright dominating performances in that six-game series, with perhaps his most impressive coming in the opening game:

By adding weight and getting stronger, Capela will be able to better matchup against all opposing big men while still being a unique big man capable of holding his own when switching on to guards in the pick-and-roll.