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Position: C
Born: 12/08/85
Height: 6-11 / 2.11
Weight:266 lbs. / 120.7 kg.
Salary: $23,500,000
Born: 12/08/85
Height: 6-11 / 2.11
Weight:266 lbs. / 120.7 kg.
Salary: $23,500,000
As a guest on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Howard suggested that of the Thunder’s Big Three, Westbrook needed to sacrifice the most for the betterment of the team. “I would say Russ because Russ has the ball more times in his hands,” Howard said. “And I watched Carmelo and Paul George at times, and they were just standing there, watching. Late in the games, I think the ball should have been more in Carmelo’s hands because he’s more of a closer. Paul George, he’s that guy that’s going to get you the 20-30 points between the first and the third quarter. “Russ, he should just facilitate, get everybody involved early in the game, and just let those guys play. At this point in his career, he’s done everything as far as the individual. He has all the accolades. But now, it should just be about making everyone around him better.”
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Basketball-Reference: Clint Capela is averaging 13.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs this year. The last two players to do that in a playoff run (7+ games) at Capela’s age or younger are Dwight Howard and Charles Barkley bkref.com/pi/shareit/LOC… pic.twitter.com/UYlzrniLqP
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It was 2015-16, the final season of Harden’s failed marriage with former All-Star center Dwight Howard. As their relationship fizzled due to differences in basketball philosophy, a major factor in a catastrophe of a 41-41 season, Harden saw potential in 21-year-old Clint Capela. Capela’s physical tools caught Harden’s eye. His work ethic earned Harden’s respect. His willingness to listen — the word Harden uses most often when discussing Capela’s development — planted seeds of trust, allowing the bearded face of the franchise to believe he could help groom the project big man into an impact player who would perfectly complement his MVP-level game. “I knew it wasn’t going to happen right away,” Harden recently told ESPN, “but I continued to work with him, and now look where he is.”
“James is very smart,” said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, who has turned over the entire roster with the exception of Harden, Capela and glue guy Trevor Ariza in the past two years. “[Harden] saw the potential — [Capela’s] ability to get off the ground quick, his ability to apply what he learned quick, his ability to finish around the rim, all that. I think James saw that early and really helped develop that.” Harden privately lobbied for Capela to get more playing time in 2015-16. While that was evidence of Harden’s frustration with Howard, whose insistence on post touches bogged down the Rockets’ offense, it was also a strong vote of confidence in Capela.
