Clint Capela
Last but not least is Clint Capela, a player that was firmly in the running for Most Improved Player last season, but ultimately fell short. While he didn’t win MIP, the fact that he was a finalist shows just how rapidly his game is expanding, and his rim protecting skills and overall defense are certainly among those.
In last year’s second-round playoff bout between the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets, Capela showed off his defensive prowess in full force by making things quite difficult for Rudy Gobert. He’s deceptively quick for his size and is rapidly improving in his versatility that will allow him to guard multiple positions. He’s better at switching onto guards than most players his size and has a real knack for defending wisely.
Last season, he put up two blocks and nearly a steal per game, both of which were career marks. Capela lacks the versatility of Draymond Green and isn’t as much of a rim protecting threat as Rudy Gobert which is why he hasn’t been all that high in the Defensive Player of the Year conversations just yet. However, he’s constantly trending in the right direction, and at just 24 years old, if Capela continues to improve, I could definitely see him getting there.
Houston made the jump to becoming an elite team last season thanks largely to a refreshed defensive identity. Guys like Chris Paul and P.J. Tucker were a big part of that, but Capela’s improvements were key as well. If he can continue that rise and carry the Rockets on his shoulders defensively, he could very well emerge as Rudy’s newest competition among many who will be fighting to prove themselves worthy of the DPOY Award.
Rudy Gobert is a phenomenal defensive talent and as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year will be the one to beat this year. However, the field of elite defensive players is deep, plus sometimes voter fatigue can be hard to beat, especially for a player in a small market such as that of the Utah Jazz.
In other words, Gobert will have his work cut out for him in 2018-19 if he hopes to repeat. As you can see by this staunch field of opponents, he’s not in for an easy task. However, so long as he remains healthy, I’m confident that Rudy Gobert will once again be able to emerge above this pack of stiff competition.