Team reporter: The Rockets will be more cautious in using veterans, and Capela will get a lot of time

Sports Illustrated Houston Rockets reporter Lachard Binkley recently published an article in which he also talked about the possible playing time Clint Capela, the team signed back this summer this summer, in the new season and the role he may play in the team. Binkley said: Capela is expected to play a more important role in the Rockets starting from the second half of next season. Because the Rockets have as many as 13 back-to-back games from January next year to the end of the regular season, they may be more cautious about the playing time of some veterans during this period. In this case, they may also give Capela more chances of performance and a higher on-field tactical role, which can also relieve the pressure on other players' shoulders.

In the NBA regular season this season, Capela played a total of 55 games in 82 games, with injuries affecting a total of 55 games, of which 41 games were played as the starter. His average playing time reached 21.4 minutes, with an average of 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks, and 0.9 turnovers and 1.9 fouls, with a shooting percentage of 55.9% and a free throw percentage of 53.6%. Since finishing the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 10 this year, Capela has been waving the free card due to injury, and he also missed the team's play-off game.

Capela's performance last season was not ideal, and his form showed a significant decline, and his contribution to the team on both offense and defense has been greatly reduced. Capela's threat on the offensive end has been further reduced, and his performance on the defensive end is also much worse than before. He also lost the starting position in the second half of the season. On the other hand, injuries also had a great impact on his playing time and number of appearances. However, it seems that the Rockets still recognize Capela's abilities very much. After the free market opened this summer, Capela quickly agreed with the Rockets and received a three-year contract with a total amount of $21.5 million.

Binkley's statement seems reasonable, but in fact it is actually untenable. The Rockets have two inside players, Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams. Even if Adams doesn't play back-to-back games, Capela can only get a stable playing time in back-to-back games. Conversely, in a match that is not back-to-back, it is a question mark how much time Capela can get. Some fans think that the Rockets will use the double tower tactic more during the regular season, because the double tower tactics achieved miraculous results last season's playoffs, but this idea is also a bit strange. The reason why the Twin Towers worked was because the Rockets were facing the Golden State Warriors who were seriously under-height. When dealing with teams with qualified centers, the Double Tower will not only fail to achieve results, but may instead become a breakthrough for the opponent. What's more, Capela himself is also a veteran, and his physical condition may even be worse than Adams last season. If Capela is just a third center with limited playing time, then the Rockets sign him at this price is somewhat of a premium.