Rockets' New Center, Clint Capela, Has High Praise for Young Rockets Guard

The Houston Rockets are hoping to make a big leap next season. They ended last season as the number two seed in the Western Conference but were beaten by a veteran Golden State Warriors team in the first round of the playoffs. 

In response to their disappointing playoff exit, the Rockets didn’t stand pat this offseason. They made multiple moves in an attempt to take their team to the next level. This included trading for Kevin Durant and Clint Capela, as well as signing Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie in free agency. 

The 2025–26 Rockets roster looked like it was going to be one of the best in the league. Then disaster hit. During an offseason workout, starting point guard Fred VanVleet tore his ACL, meaning he will likely miss the whole season. 

This means the Rockets are down a starting point guard. Right now, they aren’t able to sign any more free agents, so they will either need to make a trade or promote someone from within. 

One player who many believe is going to get a shot to take over lots of VanVleet’s minutes is last year’s lottery pick, Reed Sheppard. Sheppard saw very limited playing time in his rookie season, but the Rockets believe he can take a leap this year. 

Sheppard’s new teammate, Clint Capela, spoke about his first impressions playing with the young sharpshooter. 

“Man, the first time I saw him and we played, he made like 10 shots in a row. From what I saw, I was like, This guy has got to play. This guy is ready. And I can see he has so much more potential. He’s going to get even better the more he plays.”

This is some positive news from Rockets media day. Capela has played with some All-Star point guards in the past. If Capela sees something in Sheppard, that may provide some optimism for him as VanVleet’s replacement.