Houston Rockets select Clint Capela 25th overall

The Houston Rockets did exactly what everyone expected them to do and used the 25th overall pick to stash a player overseas for next season.

Clint Capela is basically a lottery ticket. He might pan out, or he might not. It’s way too early to tell, as he showed in the Nike Hoop Summit game. He looked completely lost on the floor, and picked up a bunch of quick, ugly fouls due to a lack of lateral mobility, and took a seat on the bench.

However, there’s still a lot to like here. First off, he’s huge at 6’11 with a 7’5 wingspan. Because of that, there’s a decent chance that he can turn into an awesome backup for Dwight Howard one day. Skill-wise, he runs the floor well over large spaces, has pretty good hands, and somewhat understands the pick-and-roll already. These factors are basically all you need when you’re considering drafting an international big man late in the first round.

More importantly though, the Rockets kept their cap sheet clear as they prepare to make pitches to Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James in free agency. That seems to be what all their energy is focused on right now. It also seems like they also got another potential target with one foot out of the door in Rajon Rondo in Boston after the selection of Marcus Smart. If the Rockets play their cards right here, they could become a favorite for the NBA championship next year. We’ll find out about that in two weeks.

Because of that, we have no idea what the roster will look like whenever Capela finally comes over. He might be stuck behind Dwight Howard, or they could be attempting to tear down their team after never acquiring that third star. So much is in flux right now that the Rockets will be happy to let Capela develop further in France this season so they can see where this goes.