Ranking the Houston Rockets 5 greatest draft picks

Houston Rockets greatest draft picks #4: Clint Capela

When evaluating a team’s All-time greatest draft picks you have to take into account where a player was selected. Clint Capela was not only incredibly productive for the Rockets but he was selected with the 25th pick of the 2014 NBA draft.

On average the 25th player selected in the draft produces 6.2 win shares over the first four years of their career and 15.6 over its entirety. Capela managed 20.6 win shares over his first four seasons and 36.4 in the six seasons he spent in Houston.

The chemistry Capela developed with James Harden in the pick and roll was for multiple seasons the Rockets’ offensive engine. His ability to screen for Harden and then rim run allowed him to routinely place among the league leaders in field-goal percentage and offensive efficiency.

All of this is to say that Capela dramatically overperformed his draft position and that’s with the reality that he basically didn’t play his first season in the league. Capela is only 26-years-old and is having perhaps his finest season with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Rockets got incredible value from Capela and he’ll go down as one of the greatest players selected with the 25th pick but he could have ranked much higher if he was still a member of the team. While Capela is one of the Rockets’ greatest draft picks, he’s, unfortunately, one of their worst trades as well.

Next: Pick #3