4 Things Bruno Caboclo brings to the Houston Rockets

1. Defense

With Capela no longer on the team, the Rockets will be in need of rim protection and shot-blocking, as Capela is one of the better shot-blockers in the league. Caboclo will help soften this blow, as his 7-foot-7 wingspan allows him to contest and alter shots.

Caboclo has per-36 averages of 2.3 blocks and 1.9 steals, which ranked first and second on the Grizzlies. The 24-year-old also has per-36 averages of 4.3 blocks and 2.2 steals for the Memphis Hustle, which is the G League affiliate of the Grizzlies.

This isn’t necessarily his first time dominating in this category either, as he averaged 3.9 blocks and 1.5 steals per 36 during the 2018-19 season in which he was a member of the Rio Grande Vipers, which is the G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets.

This season, the 6-foot-9 Caboclo has a defensive box plus-minus rating of 2.0, which is actually higher than Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, and Houston Rockets newcomer Robert Covington. In addition, it’s the same rating as Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, which should be exciting for Rockets fans.

In Memphis, Caboclo frequently drew the assignment of the guarding the opposing team’s best post player, which he never backed down from. This is something he will certainly be asked to do in Houston as well. All in all, the Grizzlies allowed 107 points per 100 possessions with the Brazilian Kevin Durant on the floor this season, which was the best defensive rating on the Grizzlies this season.