Rockets' regret in letting breakout center walk grows as Clint Capela struggles

The Houston Rockets were among the busiest teams in the NBA this past offseason, making a major splash in acquiring Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns and supplementing that with a number of signings that were meant to complement the new structure of their roster.

Yet, one player whom they waived in the process, center Jock Landale, has looked great in his new role on the Memphis Grizzlies, and the player that the Rockets added in his place, Clint Capela, has struggled to find his footing in the Rockets' rotation.

Therefore, although Landale and Capela have vastly different skill-sets even for big men, this development begs a question. Would Houston have been better off just holding onto Landale?

Jock Landale may be the piece that got away for the Rockets

On the surface, the move to let Landale walk made perfect sense. Although he played a rotational role last season, especially when Steven Adams needed to miss time, he was not highly effective for Houston, averaging just 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists while providing an (extremely sparse) dose of spacing to the team.

Capela, meanwhile, was coming off a season in which he had started 41 of the 55 games he played for the Atlanta Hawks, posting consistent scoring and rebounding numbers and maintaining a strong defensive presence.

The decision to bring Capela in, therefore, was a result of Houston's desire to have a capable center who could, if needed, step into the starting lineup and allow them to continue to utilize their double-big look even with Adams' health concerns. While Capela has performed that function, he has looked relatively helpless on the offensive end, and it has become clear that his skills in the paint are rapidly waning.

Landale, meanwhile, took over starting center duties for Memphis at the start of the season with Zach Edey out, and, although he has since returned to the bench, he has looked excellent. Through his first 24 games, he's averaging 10.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists while knocking down an astounding 43.1% of his attempts from beyond the arc on solid volume.

Moreover, Landale is on an NBA-minimum one-year, $2.3 million contract, while the Rockets will owe Capela $21 million over the next three seasons. (Not to mention that they would not be hard-capped at the first apron if they had not made the sign-and-trade for Capela in the first place).

While Landale is certainly not the rebounder or the defender that Capela is, would the Rockets be better off with a 6'11" stretch big when they need to employ a third center? Would the extra $5-ish million make a serious difference in their pursuit of a guard?

It remains to be seen if Landale's performance is sustainable, but it's certain that Houston will be second-guessing their decision-making as long as Capela continues to struggle.