Atlanta Hawks: Grading Clint Capela’s first half of the season
When the Atlanta Hawks traded for Clint Capela last season they knew that he was not going to be able to play until this season. Given that the Hawks only gave up Evan Turner and a 2020 first-round draft pick to land the cornerstone of their defense.
Capela has missed very few games this season and has put his heart and soul into creating something special with his new team. Capela has almost purchased the painted area of State Farm Arena and as a result, he has changed the way opposition teams play against the Hawks.
What Capela has done for this team goes greater than the box score. He is at the top of the NBA in blocks, however, the confidence that he gives his perimeter defenders has led to the Hawks having one of the best perimeter defenses in the entire league, such is his influence.
Clint Capela’s lowlights and highlights for the Atlanta Hawks this season.
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Capela has had such a good season in 2020-21 that there are so few lowlights. However, at the start of February Capela had three games out of five where Capela could not influence the game. In a game against the Dallas Mavericks, he had a minus 15 point impact on the box score.
The night game against the Utah Jazz he had a minus 20 point impact on the box score and then three games later had a minus 28 point impact on the box score. While these numbers are always impacted by the other players on the court, it is a rare game where Clint Capela cannot stop the opposition’s offense.
There are plenty of highlights this season for Capela. The greatest highlight was his triple-double against the Minnesota Timberwolves where he had 13 points, 19 rebounds, and ten blocks. He also had a historical run of double-doubles where he equaled the most consecutive of that metric this century.
Capela is also leading the NBA in rebounding which is not surprising given that he has 14 games of 15 or more rebounds. Included in that are two games with 20 rebounds or more. It is safe to say that Capela is loving his new surroundings.
Next. How does De'Andre Hunter's return impact the Hawks. dark
The grade for Clint Capela’s first half of the season for the Atlanta Hawks.
Capela has managed to change the defensive culture of the Hawks. Given that he is leading the NBA in rebounds, third in the NBA in blocks, and 10th in the NBA in field goal percentage, he is having an incredible season.
Grade: A+