Returning is still a teenager, Capela s own value reduction returns to the Rockets, the double tower tactics may become the norm

At 6 a.m., with the NBA free agent market officially opening, the Rockets, which had frequent offseason moves, took the lead, attracting attention. As one of the most active teams this year, the Rockets signed Finney Smith, who played for the Lakers last season with a four-year contract worth $53 million. This became the first signing involving players' transfers after the league re-contract renewal of each team.

Surprisingly, just when the outside world generally believed that the Rockets would focus on strengthening the outside shooters next, they unexpectedly signed inside player Capela with a three-year, $21.5 million contract. This signing has sparked a lot of discussion. After all, in the Rockets' existing lineup, the forward line has reached 6 players, while the center has 3 players. Some voices are worried about whether the center position is too crowded. Especially Jabbarry Smith, Jr., has just renewed his contract for 5 years and $122 million, and he is also competent for the center role.

However, after careful analysis of Capela's signing, it is not difficult to find that the deal is both cost-effective and reasonable. Capela's main responsibility is to replace Langdale and become the team's third center, with the main purpose of preventing the risk of inside injuries in the middle of the season. Even if the team remains healthy, according to Uduka's rotation strategy last season, the Rockets are likely to let Adams take a rest in back-to-back games, and Capela will be able to replace the team and ensure the team's inside strength.

From the perspective of salary, Landale received an annual salary of $8 million last season, and as a reinforcement player in the reconstruction period, he performed well. Now the Rockets have the ability to win the championship. Being able to sign former league rebounding champion Capela with an annual salary of $7 million is naturally a wise choice to optimize the lineup. In addition, Capela's position in the tactical system is also significantly higher than that in Langdale. Last year, Uduka tried the three-tower lineup many times, Durant or Jabbarri Smith Jr. served in the third position, Shin Kyung occupied the fourth position, and the 5th position needed a strong inside player to protect the frame. Adams and Capela just met this demand.

In conventional rotation, Capela is also better than Langdale's adaptability to the Rockets. Since entering the league, Capela has grown up around Harden and is familiar with the tactical system with pick-and-roll as the core. The Rockets were based on pick-and-rolls at No. 1 and No. 5 last year, and Capela's experience allowed it to blend seamlessly and perform well.

It is worth mentioning that Capela was carrying a contract worth $22.27 million last season, and he was only 31 years old and is still at the peak of his career. Because the Hawks have high pressure to renew their contracts internally, they have to give up on him. Last season, he averaged 21.4 minutes, 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1 block per game, with a shooting percentage of up to 55.9%. Many market analysts believe that if Capela joins a team that can give him a starting position, he will have a chance to win an average annual contract of $12 million to $15 million. The 3-year, $21.5 million contract given by the Rockets seems to be extremely cost-effective, which is inseparable from Capela's Rockets identity. As one of the most successful players trained before the Rockets' history, Capela has gradually grown into a top center with an average of 16.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 blocks since being selected for the 25th pick in the first round in 2014. During his six-year performance, he averaged 12.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game to the team.

In the 2019-20 season, in order to pursue the ultimate small ball lineup, the Rockets traded Capela for the first round pick and 3D forward Covington. Unfortunately, this five-squad experiment failed in less than a season. At that time, Harden left the team and the Rockets entered the reconstruction stage. Many fans believed that Capela's departure accelerated the team's reconstruction process.

Now, this inside player with excellent mobility returns to the Rockets and strives for the championship again with the team. I hope that by then, fans will be able to call him "King King" affectionately when they see him wearing the Rockets' jersey. How do you view the significance of Capela's signing for the Rockets? Welcome to like, follow, leave a message for discussion.