As All-Star point guard Chris Paul’s return to the court remains uncertain, the Houston Rockets will now be without starting center Clint Capela until the All-Star Break due to surgery.
On Thursday, the Rockets announced Capela underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and he is expected to miss the next four-to-six weeks of action.
https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1086055069332787202
This is a massive blow for a team that is already without Paul. The 24-year-old Capela has had a monster season in 2018-19, averaging 17.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
Not only is Houston losing Capela’s presence in the paint until after the All-Star Break, its lack of depth will also be exposed. Nene Hilario and Gary Clark are the top bigs on the roster and both have been on the back of Houston’s bench for a reason.
James Harden is playing at an unbelievable level this season and especially as of late. Harden, who is averaging 44 points, 9.3 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game in January, will now have to do even more for the Rockets to keep competing in a loaded conference.