Clint Capela is in Meyrin for the third edition of his camp. The opportunity to talk regarding the NBA and the Swiss team with the pivot of the Atlanta Hawks.
Best rebounder of the 2020/21 season, Clint Capela was unable to repeat this performance last year. The Genevan finished the season with averages of 11.1 points and 11.9 rebounds, but he would have liked to do better. Injured during the play-in once morest Cleveland, the 28-year-old Meyrinois might not really help his team during the play-off series once morest Miami.
It is for this reason that he intends to treat himself properly in order to be on the attack for the camp and the next season in Atlanta. ‘I reached my goal by playing more than 70 matches last season, he notes. I didn’t have the best season of my career. But overall it was complicated for the team with a lot of injuries during the camp. This resulted in less training, and a lack of rhythm in the play-off.’
The injury that has bothered the Hawks center for two years is in the arch of the left foot. ‘In fact, by force, I put a lot of pressure on my left foot, he says. And I wish I might play without pain. Injections? Yes, I did, but that didn’t fix the problem. So we have to be more careful.’
As a result, the Genevan has been doing cardio since May trying to treat this foot. ‘Last summer, I only had a month off and it was clearly not enough, he says once more. Over the years, I have to learn to preserve myself if I want to play another eight or ten years in this league.’
No Swiss team this summer
Hearing him put the emphasis on recovery and taking care of his physical condition, it’s hard to imagine the Hawks pivot putting on the national team jersey at the end of August for the match once morest Austria in Switzerland and the one in Croatia three days later. ‘There is very little chance that I will play,’ he replied as if to close the door.
But despite his very likely absence, the Meyrinois continues to proclaim his love for the national jersey and takes his role as the team’s number one supporter very seriously. ‘Swiss basketball is a bit like my garden. And we don’t like it when someone comes to play in your garden when you’re not there,’ he slips.
‘But I have to be careful not to succumb to the euphoria that will take me where I don’t want and need to go. I have to make the right choices. It makes me ch…, but I have to know how to manage emotions. This is what will allow me to heal my body and my foot. And that’s what will allow me to be in good shape and to come back next year or the year following with the Swiss team.’
No style change
Uncompromising in defense and in the racket, Clint Capela does not see himself changing his style of play and starting to work on a hypothetical three-point shot. “With my very athletic game, I focus on the joints to be able to move well and be the most efficient,” said the only Swiss NBA player.
‘I know it’s because of what I do that I get paid so much. If I start doing something else, I don’t know if the teams will trust me as much as they do now. I’ve seen players who have tried to do it and have minimum contracts, despite being just a year older than me. It’s more of a business choice for my career. The coach knows what he has with me: + we will pay him so much, he will bring us that and it’s guaranteed + ‘, he concludes.
/ATS
