NBA Latest News: Houston Rockets' Clint Capela Earns More Playing Time

The Houston Rockets' Clint Capela has improved so well this early 2016-2017 NBA season that it earned him more minutes on the floor and refined coach Mike D'Antoni's trust in him. In a recent interview, D'Antoni commended his center for having a monster game and for holding his ground against elite NBA centers.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Coach D'Antoni praised Capela for running the floor full of energy. Capela is considered an undersized center but with his improved conditioning, skill set and shooting, he proves to be good enough against taller opponents. D'Antoni pointed out that Capela's speed has been mostly effective with Houston's star playmaker James Harden a.k.a. "The Beard." Capela has been collecting points in the paint and alley-oop lobs from Harden all season.

Additionally, Capela's free-throw shooting has also improved significantly It can be recalled that coach D'Antoni had to remove him from crucial games in the past because Capela can't shoot decent free-throws. Coach D'Antoni noted that Capela needs to stay on the floor and he has definitely earned it, Chron reports.

The undersized center has grown a lot from just being D'Antoni's piece of work. He is now a solid contributor to the Houston Rockets and he keeps getting better. If Capela can sustain his stellar performance, Houston fans can look forward to seeing more of him on the floor. D'Antoni even projected that Capela's play time could reach up to 35 minutes per game this 2016-2017 NBA season, according to SB Sports.

How do you like the improved Clint Capela? Do you think he can sustain this performance throughout the season? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!