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Dallas Mavericks: Pros and Cons of trading for Clint Capela

By Adam Tayabali

SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on November 30, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 30: Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs on November 30, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images /

Con: Playoff performance

Capela was one of the best big men in the NBA last season, but his performance in the playoffs was underwhelming to say the least. Capela struggled against the Golden State Warriors for the second postseason in a row.

He scored 10 points or less in four of the six games against the Warriors, averaging just 8.8 points over the course of the series. In the pivotal Game 6 in which Kevin Durant didn’t play, Capela had plus/minus of minus-12.

What made matters worse was the fact that Capela wanted to face the Warriors. In the regular season, he shredded them for 29 points and 21 rebounds in Houston’s 135-134 win on Jan. 3.

A majority of his points came from open dunks when the Warriors had defensive breakdowns.

Last postseason after Chris Paul went down, Capela had a chance to help the Rockets close out the series against the Warriors in the Conference Finals. Instead his plus/minus was minus-32 and minus-12 in Games 6 and 7, respectively.

He scored just two points in Game 6 before bouncing back with 20 points and nine rebounds in Game 7, but ultimately his game relies too much on the effectiveness of others.

Quite frankly, a traditional center like Capela is easily exposed by a team as fast and 3-point dominant as the Warriors, with or without Durant.

With so much emphasis now placed on pace and space, it’s a legitimate concern as to whether Capela can make as big an impact in the playoffs as he does in the regular season.

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