The Houston Rockets have yet again indulged in their usual regular-season rut, now losers of three straight games after coming up short against the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Clint Capela vows that should change soon, even as the Rockets have lost four of their last five games and dropped to sixth place in the West while their immediate competitors have risen above with win streaks of their own.
The Rockets have been utterly predictable, highly-dependent on James Harden, and getting spotty productions from their role players now that they're fully healthy. Asked what Houston needs to change from now on, the E-word didn't take long to come out.
“Mostly effort,” Capela said when asked how to turn things around prior to Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
Houston's defense has been shaky at best, and mind-numbingly relaxed in its worst days. Capela, who leads the team in rebounding (14.4 rebounds per game) and shot-blocking (1.8), knows the extra effort will help pull the Rockets out of their rut.
“We know that sometimes there's going to be mistakes, and it might not be the right thing (to do) on that action,” said Capela. “I think effort helps cover mistakes. Get back more, defensive rebounding, go back in there and crack somebody (defensively) – just little things you don’t necessarily see on the stats or anything. But whenever your teammates watch you play, they’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s playing with effort.'”
The Rockets have few options at the trade deadline and could end up getting help by means of a buyout, but no acquisition will magically change the effort on the floor unless the players in the locker room take the initiative to clamp down on defense, starting with a Thunder team that downright embarrassed them in their last meeting.
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