Rockets' Clint Capela: Will open season as starting center

Capela will start at center in the Rockets' season opener Wednesday against the Lakers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Analysis:

This was one of the least suspenseful job battles of the preseason, as Capela, a springy, active defender was always viewed as the favorite to garner the starting nod over the injury-prone Nene Hilario, who likely can't be counted on to play much more than 20 minutes per game at this stage of his career. The Rockets will still likely lean on Hilario fairly liberally by necessity, given Capela's tendency to rack up fouls, but the 22-year-old should still be in line for 25-plus minutes per night when he can avoid whistles.