Houston Rockets: Clint Capela wants to be an All-Star next season

Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets didn’t make the All-Star team last season despite having a stellar year, but he’s working hard to change that.

Everything is trending up for Clint Capela. Last season, he averaged career highs in points (13.9), rebounds (10.8), blocks (1.9) and he even led the NBA in field goal percentage (65.2 percent).

As the starting center, he helped Houston finish as the sixth ranked defensive team in the league, which helped them win a franchise record 65 games. Capela out played Karl Anthony-Towns in the first round of the playoffs and held his own against Rudy Gobert in the second-round.

But the 6-foot-10 center from Switzerland still isn’t satisfied.

Good enough isn’t good enough when you want to be among the best centers in the NBA. So Capela wants to continue expanding his game, including his shooting range, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.

“As a basketball player, I like to do it. Makes me feel good. So yeah, why not? You never say never. You like to expand your game, and I like to expand my game.”

Part of Capela’s dissatisfaction comes from failing to receive enough votes to make the All-Star team last season. He’s working hard to prevent that from happening again next season.

“It sucked. I definitely think I should have been [this year], but I didn’t complain about it. It’s all about the consistency. By just doing the work that I do, for sure I’ll be an All-Star next year.”

This is one of the qualities that makes Capela a fan favorite in Houston. He doesn’t complain about what is or isn’t fair, he just puts in the extra hours because he knows that it will eventually show on the court.

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Al Horford made the All-Star team last season despite averaging fewer points, rebounds and blocks than Capela. Of course, Horford’s past reputation and the fact that he plays in an Eastern Conference that is thin on talent helps. But Capela knows that the sky is the limit and he plans on realizing his All-Star potential starting next season.