As the league number one in the regular season, the Houston Rockets did not disappoint us in the playoffs, they eliminated the Timberwolves who returned to the playoffs after 14 years in the first round without suspense, and then took revenge on their old rivals Jazz 4-1 in the semifinals and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. When it comes to the Rockets, the first thing that fans think of is definitely the star-studded "light bulb" combination, but in fact, there is another player whose strength should not be underestimated, this person is not the best sixth man of last season, Gordon, nor the forward Ariza, but the 23-year-old Rocket center Clint Capela.
In rocket games, we can often see Harden or Paul break through the opponent's outside defense with excellent ball-holding offensive ability, and pass the ball to the unguarded Capela when attracting the big players on the inside to assist in the defense at mid-range, making it very easy for the latter to complete the basket finish. Because Capela's basket shots account for up to 80%, and most of them are "fed" to his hands by defenders, he is also jokingly called "pie king" by fans.
One statistic is that during the regular season this season, when the Rockets sacrificed the three-man duo of Harden + Paul + Capela, their record was as high as 50 wins and 5 losses, and their Western Conference final opponents warriors could not achieve a win when these three people played at the same time. Harden Paul's "pie feeding" level is unquestionable, both are superstars with top individual offensive and organizational skills, and their ability to break score is outstanding, so many fans believe that Capela's progress this season is only the credit of the "light bulb" combination, he is useless except for "eating pie", but in fact it is not so.
Capela's playoff stats are enough to prove his terrifying dominance, his PER value is second in the league after James and Harden, WinShares is second in the league, and the offensive score, defensive score, block rate, and offensive rebounding rate are all at the top of the league. It is said that the playoffs are the stage to test the players, except for the Pelicans' thick eyebrow Davis, just from the data point of view, there is almost no center who can be more eye-catching than Capela in the playoffs.
In the first round of the playoffs against the Timberwolves, Capela used 67.3% shooting to deliver a perfect record of 15.8 points, 14.2 rebounds plus 2 blocks per game, and the offensive ability of Downs not only averaged nearly 5 points less per game than in the regular season, but also dropped significantly in shooting, and the three-point shooting rate fell to 27.3%. As an All-Star, it's not an exaggeration to say that Towns was blown up by Capela.
In the Western Conference semifinals against Gobert, who had a better height and arm span and was selected for the best defensive team, Capela still had the upper hand, averaging a double-double of 13 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, while also delivering a staggering 3.6 blocks. In G4, five of the Jazz's 10 shots in the final 3 minutes were covered by Capela. Looking at the two rounds of the series, Capela did play enough dominance on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends.
Perhaps because of the "eating cake" too much, most fans underestimate Capela's strength. He has the athletic ability that other big men do not have, and can quickly run to the front court to participate in the attack after completing the defense; in the blocking cover, Capela can use his body to create sufficient breakthrough space for his teammates, and can find the right time to cut into the basket and complete the air relay; he has always been criticized for his single offensive means, and he has gradually begun to use techniques such as hookers and small European steps.
Capela averaged 12.2 rebounds per game during the playoffs, averaging 2.8 blocks per game, the best framer in the playoffs, shooting a terrifying 74.4 percent from the basket and being extremely efficient. It's hard to imagine what kind of heights such a player with unlimited upside can reach in the future.
If Capela still has flaws on the offensive end, then he is almost impeccable on the defensive end. With her agility and quick foot movement, Capela is not afraid to face the "small play big" offense of outside players, able to defend from the three-second zone to outside the three-point line. Capela also has a top-notch rim protection ability, whether it is a hard-working center under the basket or facing a defender who breaks into the box, he can use his excellent physical confrontation ability to put great pressure on the attacking players.
Of course, Capela's shortcomings are also very obvious, his personal offensive ability to hold the ball is very bad, basically can not see him take the initiative to play the opponent's center with the ball behind his back; in the league that pays more and more attention to shooting, Capela does not even have the ability to shoot from medium and long distances, let alone open up offensive space for the team outside the three-point line. And his less than 60% free throw shooting rate will also be a major hidden danger for the Rockets, and many teams have chosen to "cut Capela" during the regular season to force him to return to the bench, which is undoubtedly what coaches do not want to see.
All in all, the future of "Pie King" is definitely worth looking forward to, and there is currently news that the Suns are willing to chase Capela with a maximum salary to chase Capela whose contract expires this summer, and a center who is only 23 years old and has already shined in the playoffs is indeed worth getting a top salary contract. For the Rockets, they are naturally reluctant to let go of the potential center they have cultivated for 4 years, but it is certain that this summer, Capela will be a "piece of fat" for teams on the free market to compete.