The Hits Keep Coming For The Houston Rockets As Clint Capela Is Out 4-6 Weeks With A Thumb Injury
Damn, the Houston Rockets have had some tough luck with injuries this year and things are getting worse now that Clint Capela is going to miss over a month with some ligament damage on his thumb. Just how big of a loss is this for the Rockets? Well, this seems pretty good
He got that big deal this season and immediately backed it up playing the best basketball of his career across the board. His breakout year has been so important for the Rockets as they attempt to climb back into contention after a brutal start, and the numbers back it up. He’s one of the best shot blockers in the league, the team’s rebounding rate obvious goes down when he’s out, and his P&R with Harden is one of the most common sets this team runs. Even if he’s just catching lobs and dunking, with all the attention Harden demands it’s a huge part of their offense.
You look at their roster, and their big man depth isn’t all that great. They do have Nene Hilario on the roster, but he’s old as shit and has been dealing with injuries himself this season. Maybe this means more Marquese Chriss but you can’t love that reality if you’re a Rockets fan. After already dealing with Chris Paul’s injury that has kept him out of the lineup since 12/20 and reports suggesting he’s still more than 2 weeks away from returning this Capela news could not come at a worse time. They did make a run towards the end of December by winning 11 of 12, but since then have been a .500 team after losing last night to the Magic. Given how tight the seeding is in the West
it’s not exactly a situation where the Rockets can accord any sort of slide. Given that this isn’t going to be a quick recovery time either, Daryl Morey is going to have to work his magic to bring in some additional bigs because they are now super thin.
If you thought you hated watching Harden play before, just wait till you see what he does without his favorite P&R teammate.
