Clint Capela ‘surprised’ about Deandre Ayton’s jab
Two months in the past, Deandre Ayton was annoyed he wasn’t getting the respect he felt he deserved.
After speaking to the media following a 21-point, 13-rebound efficiency in opposition to the Magic on Feb. 24, he made an offhanded remark as he walked towards the bathe. “They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” he mentioned. “I’m not not Clint Capela.”
Funny sufficient, Ayton is now dealing with Capela within the Lakers’ first-round playoff collection in opposition to the Rockets, which the Lakers lead 1-0 after a 107-98 win in Game 1 on Saturday.
As for Capela’s ideas on the jab?
“I was surprised,” Capela advised The California Post. “I don’t know why I’m in someone else’s head. I don’t talk to the guy.”
Capela heard about Ayton’s remark after it went viral in an ESPN story. He responded on Instagram by mentioning that the Lakers’ heart performs alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, writing, “U got 2 of the best floor general in the game dawg Lockinn.”
The 31-year-old Capela, who was the twenty fifth general choose within the 2014 NBA Draft by Houston, has made a profession out of being a profitable function participant. He has transitioned into being a backup vet after signing a three-year, $21.5 million contract with the Rockets in June 2025.
He’s a gifted rebounder, shot blocker and rim protector. During his prime, he was an vital piece on a Rockets group that made it to 2 Western Conference finals in 2015 and 2018. He averaged a double-double over seven seasons, together with a league-leading 14.3 rebounds and 15.2 factors per sport in 2020-21.
“Yeah, I mean for me, in my career, I did what I did for my team, I had a lot of success,” Capela advised The Post. “So, it worked out for me.”
Capela is nice at what he does. I’ve by no means tried to be a famous person. He has made a 12-season profession out of being a blue-collar employee who’s a dependable rim-running huge man.
That’s not what Ayton desires for himself.
Ayton was the No. 1 general choose within the 2018 draft by the Suns, chosen forward of Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was alleged to turn out to be a famous person. Ayton has solely lived as much as these expectations in moments and has struggled with consistency and maturity all through his eight-season profession.
Some video games, he is a drive on each ends of the court docket who can effortlessly produce double-doubles. He’s DominAyton.
Other video games, he is a 7-foot placeholder.
When the Lakers acquired Ayton on a two-year, $16.6 million contract in July after a buyout from the Trail Blazers, he hoped to resurrect his profession. His popularity had taken hits for his professionalism throughout stints with the Suns and Blazers, and he noticed becoming a member of the Lakers as a giant stage to reinvent himself.
The 27-year-old Ayton has had an up-and-down season, averaging 12.5 factors and eight rebounds in 27.2 minutes per sport. But issues started turning round for him through the Lakers’ latest 16-2 run this spring. His engine was excessive. He purchased into his function.
“Felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton mentioned March 12. “And, you know, I finally caught up with the team. That’s about it.”
When the Lakers performed the Rockets on March 16, Ayton (seven factors, 11 rebounds) and Capela (9 factors, eight rebounds and two assists) had comparable stats. That kind of manufacturing sufficed for the Lakers again then.
But now, with Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (indirect) sidelined indefinitely, the Lakers want him to take their sport to a different stage.
Ayton responded in Game 1, ending with 19 factors on 8-for-10 capturing, 11 rebounds and one blocked shot in 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Rockets crumbled with out Kevin Durant, who was sidelined Saturday after knocking knees with a teammate at Wednesday’s observe.
“Nobody can replace KD,” mentioned Capela, who had two factors and two rebounds in 11 minutes. “So we did what we did with what we had. And hopefully we can have him for the next one.”
As for Capela, he is specializing in the duty at hand.
Not on any verbal photographs.
And he is selecting to take Ayton’s phrases as a praise.
“If people are thinking about me while I’m just doing my thing, I guess it’s a good thing,” Capela advised The Post.
