Bruno Caboclo returns to Rockets more confident in playing center

The Rockets re-acquired Bruno Caboclo via trade, and he says he’s more ready to play center now than during his last stint in Houston.

With an athletic 6-foot-9 frame and 7-foot-7 wingspan, Bruno Caboclo always had the tools to be an effective option at center in the NBA, particularly given the modern emphasis on speed and floor spacing.

Entering his second stint in Houston after a deadline day trade, it seems the 24-year-old now has the confidence and experience, too.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for me,” Caboclo said Sunday at Toyota Center, where Houston had its first home game since the trade. He’s currently out with a bruised knee, but is expected to be available after the All-Star break, which begins for Houston after Tuesday’s game.

“I’m very happy, very excited,” Caboclo said of his return to the Rockets. “It feels like it was just yesterday that I was here.”

When Caboclo was picked in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft at just 18 years old, he was a raw and largely undeveloped prospect out of Brazil. Based on his weight, he was initially slotted as a small forward by the Toronto Raptors, his original organization.

Even upon signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Rockets before the 2018-19 season and playing several months with Houston’s G League affiliate, he wasn’t quite ready for the rigors of defending NBA big men — or at least not on a title contender, such as the Rockets.

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But Caboclo got his first extended look when the then-rebuilding Grizzlies signed him to an NBA contract in January 2019. In 34 games with Memphis late last season, Caboclo averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, and he shot 36.9% from 3-point range.

“Last year, they gave me an opportunity,” Caboclo said of his time in Memphis. “I felt I could play in the NBA, and that gave me a lot of confidence. From there, I just keep building.”

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Perhaps most importantly for the undersized Rockets, who are putting a premium on floor spacing and defensive versatility, Caboclo also got a taste of life as a frontcourt player. Now at 218 pounds, he’s steadily added bulk over six seasons after entering the NBA at just 200 pounds, and that physical development appears to be paying off.

“Now I’ll be playing center, so I’ve got to get used to it,” Caboclo said.

According to Basketball Reference estimates, Caboclo played 87% of his NBA minutes during his first three seasons in Toronto at small forward or shooting guard. By contrast, over parts of two seasons in Memphis, more than 70% of his minutes came at power forward or center.

Regarding the transition, Caboclo explains:

Since I’ve been here, I’ve learned so much. My body has changed, too. I learned a lot more stuff about basketball, and I’m just going to keep learning.

I learned more stuff about playing as a center. Now I can see, when I watch the games, I just keep watching the bigs who play my position. How they score, how they get their points, how they screen, and stuff like that. And I bring it to my game.

Caboclo’s minutes have dropped from 23.5 per game last season to 8.7 this season, partly due to injury and also because Memphis added to its frontcourt in the offseason with rookie Brandon Clarke and veteran Jae Crowder. That made minutes harder to come by. But at 24 years old, there’s no reason to think that his skills have eroded.

“I’m very long, so I can help on defense,” Caboclo said. “And offense, too. I can help open the court with speed.”

In Houston, where head coach Mike D’Antoni doesn’t have a traditional center after the larger deadline trade of Clint Capela for Robert Covington, that length could be especially important. The Rockets are now starting 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker at center, and the tallest player in their current rotation is the 6-foot-7 Covington.

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If Caboclo can earn D’Antoni’s trust, he’d instantly be Houston’s longest player, with a unique skillset for the Rockets of being able to both score at the rim on offense and help defend it on defense.

D’Antoni wasn’t ready to commit to Caboclo as a rotation player just yet, suggesting it will largely depend on his defense in Houston’s switch-heavy scheme. But it does seem that he’ll get a chance, once healthy.

When asked Sunday whether Caboclo could be an option (once healthy) for the Rockets at center, D’Antoni said:

I don’t even know if we have centers anymore. He’s a player. He can give you the vertical spacing. He shoots threes, runs the floor. Can he guard well enough? I don’t know yet. We’ll have to see how he came back. He has more experience now than when he was here, and he’s got a lot of talent. So it’s good to try. We’ll see. I’m not committed one way or the other. Hopefully he’ll find time and get comfortable, but you don’t know.

Caboclo will remain unavailable for at least one more game, when Houston finishes up play before the All-Star break with Tuesday’s home matchup vs. Boston. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. from Toyota Center.

From there, the Rockets return to action on Thursday, Feb. 20 at Golden State, and Caboclo’s minutes could be a storyline to watch down the stretch of the 2019-20 regular season for a team that is currently devoid of frontcourt size and vertical spacing.

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