The Houston Rockets are once again embracing an unconventional strategy, bringing back center Clint Capela for the 2025-26 season in a move that signals a dramatic shift from their infamous “micro-ball” era to an audacious new “macro-ball” philosophy. This bold pivot aims to transform the team into the league’s biggest and most physically imposing, starkly contrasting their previous small-ball experiment and raising questions about its potential for success.
Capela’s return, following his trade in the 2019-20 season that ushered in the micro-ball era, sees him rejoining a Rockets squad already boasting formidable big men like Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, whose center rotation was considered a strength last season. The decision to invest heavily in yet another starting-quality center, especially after acquiring larger players like Kevin Durant and Dorian Finney-Smith, initially appears puzzling given the team’s existing size and small-ball proficiency.
This seemingly counterintuitive move is rooted in head coach Ime Udoka’s semi-successful postseason strategy of deploying “double-big” lineups, which proved effective in leveraging physical advantages against smaller, older opponents, such as their series against the Golden State Warriors. The front office appears keen to further explore this approach, believing that an overwhelming presence in the paint can disrupt opponents and create significant mismatches.
Capela’s specific value lies in his unique offensive skillset as a premier lob threat, offering a dimension that complements Sengun’s interior passing and post-play, creating diverse two-man game opportunities unlike the more ground-bound Adams. This strategic flexibility allows Udoka to tailor his big-man pairings, ensuring the Rockets can maintain a dominant interior presence while adapting to various defensive schemes.
During his initial tenure with the Rockets in the late 2010s, Capela established himself as one of the league’s top centers, consistently delivering double-doubles and serving as a crucial component of their title-contending offense alongside James Harden. His exceptional ability to finish lobs made him nearly irreplaceable in that specific role, even during an era widely acknowledged for its scarcity of dominant centers.
The original trade of Capela marked a significant inflection point in the NBA’s spacing revolution, pushing the Rockets’ small-ball experiment to its extreme limits, with a center rotation composed of undersized forwards and guards. This “micro-ball” approach, though revolutionary at the time, ultimately proved unsustainable in the playoffs, culminating in a decisive defeat by the Los Angeles Lakers, who leveraged their superior size and physicality.
While Capela has maintained serviceable performance with the Atlanta Hawks since his departure, averaging robust points and rebounds, his per-game statistics have seen a slight decline in recent seasons, and he is no longer at his previous athletic peak. Both Capela and Adams also carry notable availability concerns, suggesting the Rockets will likely manage their minutes carefully, reminiscent of past veteran big-man rotations.
The 2025-26 Houston Rockets are poised to become the most physically imposing team in the NBA, a collection of formidable athletes designed to dominate offensive rebounds, stifle drives in the paint, and overpower opponents in transition. This grand “Frankenstein’s monster” experiment, with Capela’s unexpected return as its linchpin, is set to commence in October, and its outcome, whether success or failure, will be undeniably clear to all.
