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Houston Rockets: Clint Capela plans to return on Thursday from injury

By Michael Knight

HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 9 : Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets warms up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 9, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 9 : Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets warms up before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 9, 2019 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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After missing the last 15 games due to injury, the Houston Rockets are expected to have their big man back on Thursday night against the Lakers.

Finally, he is back. Clint Capela is expected to return on Thursday night as the Houston Rockets come back from the All-Star Break. Their budding-star big man has been sidelined with a thumb injury that has held him out since he injured it against the Magic on January 13.

Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported this news tonight and the Rockets will have their much-needed center back. The team went 9-6 in his absence and was heavily outrebounded along the way by just about every team.

Rockets center Clint Capela is returning to practice today after missing 15 games due to ligament damage in his right thumb. Barring a setback, he's expected to play Thursday against the Lakers.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 20, 2019

This will mean that the Rockets will be fully healthy for practically the first time all year. Signing buyout candidates and Danuel House would be a nice cherry on top, but for now, this is nice.

Kenneth Faried

With Clint Capela out, the Rockets desperately needed help at the center position. That’s where Kenneth Faried came in and helped out drastically. He started pretty much every game of his Rockets career so far, averaging 15.9 points and 10.3 rebounds a night while bringing crazy energy.

With Capela back, he will obviously go back to a bench role with the team. His lack of size was apparent even in his success and he will be even better in shorter spurts off the bench.

This really helps the Rockets with the depth issue they’ve had in recent years at center. Capela and Faried gives the team 48 minutes of devastating pick-and-roll action on offense if they choose to do so, which can really hurt the opposition. James Harden had an instant connection with Faried and that should continue as he comes off the bench.

Curry says Harden doesn’t like hero ball. Next

I’m excited to see what a fully healthy Rockets squad can do and look forward to seeing them on Thursday against the Lakers on national TV as they go for the sweep of the season series.

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