Rockets have made their stance on Clint Capela crystal clear

As the Houston Rockets brought in Clint Capela in free agency this offseason, many around the league wondered about their ultimate intentions given the already established presences of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams within their rotation.

Yet, with the recent revelation that Adams' workload is likely to become even more limited this season, Capela's signing clearly represents an attempt from Houston's front office to maintain the team's size and provide them with a reliable depth option at center.

Therefore, Capela, who was largely a starter in his time with the Atlanta Hawks, will now take on a unique role as he returns to the Rockets, signifying a transition in his career and a profound faith from the organization that he can fit back into the team's scheme in a starkly different way.

Clint Capela's defense could prove to be a huge boon to the Rockets' rotation

After six seasons in Houston, Capela was ultimately traded to the Hawks in 2020, where he became their long-term starting center. However, following the Hawks' shift of direction this offseason along with their trade for Kristaps Porzingis, Capela was left on the market yet again, returning to Houston to fill out the team's depth at the position of center.

Despite some injury issues, Capela has largely been a viable and defensively effective center over the past few seasons. Last season, through 55 games, he averaged 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 55.9% from the field.

When he signed with Houston, however, it was difficult to see exactly how he would fit into the rotation. Sengun and Adams averaged a combined 45.2 minutes per game last season, and, given how accustomed Capela is to being a starter, it's hard to imagine that he would accept an end-of-bench role in free agency.

Yet, the revelation that Adams' workload is likely to be reduced even further this year given his injury history starts to make the organization's faith in Capela make sense.

At 6'10", Capela is still a highly viable defensive presence on the interior and around the rim, and the Rockets evidently believe that his offensive output around the basket will be sufficient to add a significant wrinkle to their offensive formulations.

While the team certainly could have used another guard instead of signing Capela, they have made a profound statement concerning the type of basketball they aim to continue to play as the new season begins, and Capela's unique role is a distinct showing of faith in the continued abilities of the aging center.