Rockets center Clint Capela out at least four weeks with leg injury

In NBA A to Z Diaries, Insiders Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt will provide insight, analysis and revelations from around the league in a free-flowing attempt to make sense of this 2016-17 season. The latest entry looks at the Houston Rockets and the ripple effect of Clint Capela’s leg injury.

This is the holiday season, right? There’s just no good reason the Houston Rockets – winners of 10 consecutive games and as impressive a turnaround story as the NBA has this season – shouldn’t be able to have nice things.

Instead, they get this: Clint Capela, their 22-year-old center who has been such a perfect fit for first-year coach Mike D’Antoni in the Rockets’ post-Dwight Howard era, is expected to miss several weeks because of a leg injury suffered on Saturday against Minnesota.

According to a statement from Rockets general manager Daryl Morey on Tuesday, tests revealed Capela has a small left fibula fracture and will be re-evaluated in approximately four weeks.

Right about the time the Rockets (21-7) were really rolling, with a showdown against the San Antonio Spurs looming on Tuesday night and fourth place standing in the latest Paste BN Sports power rankings, losing this particular big man is no small deal. Not only was Capela averaging 11.8 points (on 64% shooting), eight rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, but his skillset as a pick-and-roll man with James Harden was an ideal fit so far in their surprising season.

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With all those shooters, from Harden (who is leading the Paste BN Sports’ MVP rankings), to Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza, Capela’s ability to finish at the rim gives the Rockets the kind of variety that makes them so special. Thus far, their offense is ranked fourth overall (111.4 points scored per 100 possessions) and they lead the NBA in three-point attempts (38.9 per game) and makes (14.9).

This, make no mistake, is a bah-humbug development if ever there was one for Houston.