James Harden and Clint Capela are arguably one of the most important synergies on the Houston Rockets. The boost they provide to the team is immeasurable, and Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers will be one of the first to admit that fact.
Brown was asked about the impact the two cornerstones of the Rockets have after they won over his team, 118-108. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle recorded Brown’s descriptions of how hard it was to guard the two players. His words greatly described how effective the two play their pick-and-rolls.
“He dribbles two feet over halfcourt and you still don’t feel like you’re close enough. Then, you try to get close, but he’s strong enough and good enough to go by you, and then Capela gets behind your head for the lobs. The package is lethal.”
Brown may be stating the obvious, but it’s true. Harden is a very dangerous scorer to leave alone. His gravity makes Capela’s drives to the basket all the more effective. He will happily shoot a jumper if he’s left wide open, and his court vision is outstanding to find Capela wherever the Rockets big man goes.
Capela is just an unstoppable force on the roll. His athleticism makes it possible for him to catch even the wildest Harden lobs and finish with authority on the rim. Moreover, he’s more than ready to corral a miss Harden makes and put it back. He’s an important component to the very lethal pick-and-roll game the Rockets use frequently.
The two Rockets stars had outstanding games against the Sixers: Harden finished with 44 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds while Capela had an equally eye-catching stat line with his 30 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.
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