Charlotte HornetsCharlotte Hornets vs. Houston RocketsHouston Rockets Pick Center

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Feb 04, 2020The Houston Rockets have played just long enough without starting center Clint Capela that envisioning a long-term future without Capela contributing nightly double-doubles has started to crystallize.That makes the timing of the published reports of his potential trade to an Eastern Conference team particularly intriguing. With the NBA trade deadline set for Thursday, the Rockets have reached a juncture where their status as title contenders could be solidified by one transaction.Before then, Houston will host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. Capela has missed consecutive games and six total since Christmas with a heel contusion, and the Rockets have opted for small-ball lineups in his absence. While there is a possibility that Capela has played his final game with the organization that selected him 25th overall in the 2014 draft, the Rockets continue to talk as though Capela will return to their lineup when he is healthy."There's going to be a lineup that, when Clint goes out, we can get more spread and give a different look," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Maybe the bigs aren't working so you go small; maybe the smalls aren't working so you go big. Yeah, it gives you an extra weapon." There are questions regarding how long the Rockets can thrive playing as small as they did in wins over Dallas and New Orleans in the past two games. Houston benefited from the Mavericks playing without All-Star guard Luka Doncic last Friday and won despite finishing at a minus-15 rebounding deficit. Against Dallas, the Rockets didn't play anyone taller than 6-foot-6. ESPN reported that hadn't happened in the NBA since 1963.The Rockets were even worse on the glass against the Pelicans, who posted a plus-20 advantage on the boards and snagged half of their misses on the offensive end in the first half. Houston fought harder and did a better job of limiting second-chance opportunities in the second half of their 117-109 win against the Pelicans, but the challenge will remain without Capela or a legitimate center capable of cleaning the glass should the Rockets not land one prior to the trade deadline."We're just doing what every team in the NBA will do when one man goes down," said Rockets forward Danuel House Jr., who posted two double-digit rebounding games over the past week with Capela sidelined. "We've just come together as a team and try to put the pieces together that that man usually brings. I just think guys overall are doing a great job of doing more and putting more energy and effort into a lot of things, and it's starting to show for us." In the Hornets, Houston will face a reeling team that has dropped three consecutive games -- 11 of 12 overall -- and ranks among the bottom five teams in the league in rebounding rate. Charlotte managed a plus-9 rebounding margin against the Orlando Magic on Monday but surrendered 16-of-34 shooting from behind the 3-point line in its 112-100 home setback.The Hornets have committed to a youth movement, and their current struggles are a byproduct of their approach. Still, there were positives to be gleaned, and they were noted."To win the paint (plus-12), I thought that was a positive," Hornets coach James Borrego said. "To win the board, most nights that's going to be a win for us. It came down to making shots. To lose the 3-point line by 21 (points), that's going to be tough for us to make up in other areas." --Field Level Media

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