Steven Adams hit with Rockets gut punch after harsh preseason truth

As the Houston Rockets navigated the offseason, their numerous signings, including those of Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith, very clearly represented depth and insurance against possible injuries that might plague the team this season.

Yet, in the team's first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, the run that Capela got, and the production he put up in his minutes, revealed a glaring truth. Capela is there as insurance against an injury to Steven Adams, but he could eat into his minutes even when healthy.

Capela, who signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Rockets this offseason, played 17 minutes in the game, posting eight points, five rebounds and zero assists. Yet, the activity and dynamic energy he brought on both sides of the ball could give an indication of how his role could increase throughout the year.

Clint Capela could slowly topple Steven Adams in the Rockets' depth chart

Capela, 31, certainly still presents a viable game in the paint at this point in his career, and, although his return to Houston was certainly a heartwarming moment, it remained relatively unclear throughout the offseason what his role would be.

Yet, as it became clear that Adams would still be limited this season, especially in back-to-backs, Capela's role crystallized: allow the Rockets to still play big even with Adams out.

In their first preseason game, however, Capela did much more than that, representing one of multiple bright spots for Houston on the night as he caught multiple alley-oops and gave an extra boost of offensive energy when Sengun was on the bench:

While the team is certainly easing Adams back in, he played only 16 minutes on the night, posting a similar stat line to Capela.

Yet, coming away from the game, Capela was the one who made the impact and got the highlight plays, and, if he is able to continue this performance throughout the preseason, we could be in for an interesting positional battle once the regular season gets going.

Moreover, Adams's struggles at the free throw line, especially in the postseason, have been well-noted, and, while Capela is certainly not elite in that area, this could be an additional incentive for the team to work Capela into the rotation in a rather significant manner.

Therefore, while Adams still presents a skill-set that is vital to the team and the way they want to dominate the paint and the boards, Capela could see significant run if the team wants to lean offensively in its bench minutes, and their first preseason game merely represented a preview of what could be ahead for the two centers.