Clint is good ! | NBA

All eyes are on Trae Young, and that’s to be expected, but Atlanta is not a one-player team, no matter how strong. Atlanta is a homogeneous collective, and some players ultimately not far from the very best, such as, for example, Clint Capela. Sacrificed a year ago by the Rockets on the altar of the “very small ball”, the Swiss are now in the conference final while his former team has exploded, losing his best players, his GM and his coach!

Underestimated by those who only saw him as a DeAndre Jordan bis, Clint Capela has proven this year that he is much more than a “receiver” of lobed passes, and this night he was decisive in the “ money time ”by his defense, but also and especially his presence in the offensive rebound. It is he, in the middle of a forest of arms, who will give the advantage to the Hawks with a complicated left hand finish. In one minute, the Swiss will take four rebounds, two defensive and two offensive, which will turn into five points.

“I’m really focused on that: making sure they only have one shot”

“I’m just trying to be an inner presence” he explains about his big second half. “We obviously know that they score a lot of points in the racket, so we had to defend better. With every action, this team puts a lot of pressure around the circle. We have a lot of players who are aggressive and really smart. They play well, but we have to complicate things for them, and make sure not to give them a second chance on the rebounds. I’m really focused on that: making it so that they only have one shot, and then helping us launch the attack. “

Author of 19 rebounds, personal best in the playoffs, the best rebounder in the NBA delivers big battles in these playoffs since in the first round, he had Julius Randle in his axis, then he tried to slow down Joel Embiid.

Now he has to defend against Giannis Antetokounmpo, while keeping an eye on Brook Lopez on the rebound. Missions that do not frighten him, and like his teammates, he plays without the slightest complex.

“When we play with this energy, this connection, this synergy, I have the impression that our team is unstoppable”

“I think our mentality is to keep playing. When we make a mistake in defense, we just try not to repeat it ” continues the former Houston hub. “We are not really focused on the score, but more on the mistakes we can make. How to better execute our systems in attack, how to get several possessions, the offensive rebound, get the ball out, make stops in defense… All of this really reverberates on both sides of the field. “

For Clint Capela, the Hawks’ success is first and foremost mental. It is a question of trust, solidarity and perseverance. “I have the feeling that our team is just coming to play and we all know we deserved to get there. We gave it our all all year round, and I feel like we play as if we belonged to us. We were very aggressive throughout the game, we played with confidence, nobody is afraid. I think that’s the mentality we need to have. It’s our mentality to tell ourselves that our potential is limitless. When we play with this energy, this connection, this synergy, I feel like our team is unstoppable. “

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