Can Clint Capela Be Next Houston Rockets Youngster to Thrive?

Amidst the hubbub about the Houston Rockets chasing stars like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Kevin Love, they’ve still got to build a future. They took a strong step in that direction by selecting Swiss center Clint Capela in the NBA draft this June.

The Rockets’ annual pursuit of superstars has obscured our vision of their ability to scout young talent. Capela, a 20-year-old 7-footer and an incredible athlete, is just the latest intriguing young talent picked by Houston.

General manager Daryl Morey originally planned to stow Capela away in Europe for the 2014-15 season. This was a way to keep his salary cap light for more big-game hunting on the free-agency market. But it now looks as though Capela is coming to Houston. Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:

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The Rockets have been working with Capela on his buyout and FIBA letter of clearance, ending the idea that he would remain in Europe for at least another season, a person with knowledge of their decision said. Because contracts for first-round picks are slotted, there is not expected to be issues with signing Capela once he and the Rockets work through the FIBA clearance.

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And when he comes to Houston, Capela will join a growing line of uniquely plucked youth. 

Patrick Beverley was scouted playing in China after being drafted and cut by the Miami Heat. He's now the Rockets' starting point guard and the leader of their perimeter defense.

Troy Daniels is a D-League call-up who paid serious dividends for the Rockets against the Portland Trail Blazers with his quick, accurate three-point shooting in the playoffs.

And Donatas Motiejunas, originally drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves but acquired by Houston via trade, is a Lithuanian big man with tantalizing floor vision and coordination for a 7-footer.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Rockets’ future, like the past and present of the 2014 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, may depend a surprising amount on their ability to find talent in the oft-ignored margins of basketball. Capela, like most players not yet of legal American drinking age, is a project. Raw and relatively unknown, most teams wouldn’t take a chance on him despite his having one of the most impressive NBA bodies in the draft.

The Rockets aren't looking to fill immediate needs through the draft, opting always to take the best available player. They're more interested in maintaining a rich, continuous farm of talent than answering the lineup questions of today. This approach also gives Morey a leg up on the trading market, where hypothetical talent abroad—and contracts that don't actually need to be signed, and thus count against the salary cap—are often effective bait. Struggling, paid rookies and sophomores are much harder to move.

The hope for Rockets fans is that Morey has a sharply trained eye for international talent. Keeping tabs on non-Americans is harder for obvious, logistical reasons. But if a front office can master the art of it, they can get top talent at extreme bargains. Manu Ginobili was drafted 57th overall. Tony Parker? 28th.

Capela, who fell to the Rockets at No. 25 last month, aspires to be the latest example of overlooked talent abroad.

His alarming dimensions will surely help him toward that goal. Boasting a nearly 7’5” wingspan and hands with 10-inch width, Capela will have physical advantages in almost any matchup he faces. According to Draft Express, Capela got 47.5 percent of his offense from cuts to the hoop and putbacks. It should come as no surprise that such a long player thrived near the basket, and Houston will translate this success to the NBA.

The opposing fear is that Capela was merely drafted by Morey so that he could keep him off the books and make his run at more All-Stars. But if that were the case, and Morey wasn’t actually high on Capela’s potential, why would the Rockets exercise his signing rights at all? Now that they’re working on a deal, it would seem they’re genuinely intrigued and invested in the big man.

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Unless Capela develops quickly, he'll likely be right behind Motiejunas in the lineup—No. 3 on the depth chart behind Dwight Howard at center. But his rare size means Capela might find himself a role higher up in the Rockets' order if he's able to develop an NBA prowess for rim protection or finishing at the rim—as he was in Switzerland. Howard can't provide those skills every minute of every game, after all.

Only time will tell whether Capela—and the Rockets’ recruitment strategies at large—will be that extra factor toward a title run in Houston. But one thing’s for sure: You can’t fault the Rockets for their lack of creativity.