Atlanta Hawks: How Trae Young makes Clint Capela better
The Atlanta Hawks have been a totally different team this year. A big part of that has been the defensive acumen of Clint Capela. However, the best bit is that Capela has also been a strong offensive presence on the team, putting up some historic numbers this season.
He is leading the league in offensive rebounds with 4.7 per game. However, that is not Capela’s only offensive skill-set that Capela brings to the table. He runs the floor better than most big men in transition and gets rewarded, often finishing with a transition bucket.
Capela has always had service from some of the best point guards in the league. For a long time, he was James Harden’s partner in the pick and roll. Then in his couple of seasons with the Houston Rockets, he also had the services of Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. None of them have been as good for Capela as Trae Young has been this season.
Atlanta Hawks: The connection is strong between Trae Young and Clint Capela.
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With Young in the lineup, Capela is so hard to stop. In the 50 games they have played together, prior to the Portland Trail Blazers game, Capela has averaged 15.8 points and 2.18 blocks per game. He is also shooting the ball at 61.3 percent on 11.2 field goal attempts.
In the seven games that Capela has played without Young, he is averaging 12.3 points and 1.43 blocks per game. However, these are not the most concerning numbers, without Young, Capela is shooting the ball at 43.8 percent on 11.4 field goal attempts.
This drop in field goal percentage shows just how much Young makes those around him better, especially Capela. When Young is driving he has one of the best floaters in the game. When he makes that shot, then the opposition center needs to step up to stop him next time they make the same play.
Next. Hawks playoff picture six games out. dark
When this happens, Capela is then left open and Young is getting so good at deciding when to shoot the ball himself or when it is better to pass. This has been a growth area this season for Young and will serve them well as they move towards the playoffs.