Clint Capela can dominate even more against the Warriors

The center for the Rockets will be a huge part of the series against the Warriors. He can dominate even more than he has already in the playoffs.

The Rockets will need Clint Capela to be as good as he has been so far in the playoffs in the next round against the Warriors. Throughout the postseason this year, he is averaging 14.4 points, 12.2 rebounds & 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 63.4%.

While Clint didn’t dominate the Warriors in the regular season, he definitely has the ability to do just that in the playoffs.

Will we see a level of Clint Capela that we haven’t seen yet, even in these playoffs? Let’s hope so. Here are a couple of reasons why Clint can dominate for the Rockets in this matchup:

Skill advantage

Even though he’s outplayed the opposing centers so far in the postseason, Clint Capela has been going up against some All-Star caliber players. He raised his game to play at their level and it’s paid off for the Rockets.

Now, he will be going up against…Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee. No disrespect to those two, but they aren’t Rudy Gobert or Karl-Anthony Towns.

Now, Capela will likely see some time being guarded by Draymond Green. This could cause an issue as Draymond is a very, *very*, good defender, but Clint should still be able to finish over the top of him.

Golden State was able to find success against Capela in the regular season, limiting his rebounding in all but one of the matchups. Still, I like Clint’s chances to break through and have a fantastic series.

Shot blocking

Clint Capela’s shot-blocking ability should be highlighted in the Conference Finals. Last round against Golden State, Anthony Davis, a notable shot-blocker, had 2+ blocks in all of the games but one.

Capela has been protecting the paint at a high rate in this postseason. Look for him to be the anchor in the paint that the Rockets need.

Small ball

The Warriors have the most lethal small ball lineup in the league in the form of the “Hampton’s Five,” or whatever they call themselves. The Rockets can match up with that lineup by taking out Clint, but leaving him in might be a better idea.

Clint Capela has the rare ability as a center to guard the perimeter. He handles switches well and has been able to lock down guards many times so far this postseason.

If the Rockets decide to keep him in the game, they gain a huge advantage on both ends of the court, potentially. Should Capela keep defending like he has been, it could force the Warriors out of their death lineup.

As you can see, Clint Capela’s play will be huge for this series against the defending champs. Let’s see how it goes starting on Monday night at 8 p.m. CT!

Next: Eric Gordon needs to be better to beat the Warriors