Ahead of the Rockets fascinating Western Conference finals matchup with the Warriors, Chris Paul has revealed which teammate holds the key to their success and it's not the obvious choice. Paul skipped over likely MVP winner James Harden, and called young center Clint Capela the 'X-factor' that makes Houston tick. The 'big two' of Paul and Harden have carried most of the burden this season, but Capela's rapid development could soon see that become a true 'big three'. 

The 23-year-old was integral in Houston clinging a league-best record and home court advantage throughout the postseason, posting career highs in points, rebounds, blocks and led the league in field goal percentage in a stellar season. 

His efforts haven't gone unnoticed, particularly by his teammates. 

“It’s not just about this series, he’s important to our team,” Paul said per Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle.. “It’s no secret everybody wants to always point out me and James, but he’s the ‘X’ factor. When Clint doesn’t play, we’re in trouble.”

High praise from the nine-time All Star who clearly knows that Capela's two-way ability will be key to a series win over the defending champs over the next two weeks. 

The Swiss star is still undervalued by the rest of the league though according to Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni, and that gives them a huge advantage. 

“They underestimate him, which is good for us,” D’Antoni said of Capela. “The big thing is there’s always a little caveat. ‘He’s good for his role.’ No, he’s good. He’s a good center. For anybody who wants to play basketball, the guy can play.”

His increasingly effective rim protection and ability to switch out on to perimeter shooters to contest three point shots will prove vital against Golden State, and D'Antoni knows how valuable that versatility is against such a talented shooting team.

“If they go small, he can give us that vertical spacing that we need,” the 67-year-old said. “If they go big, obviously that’s right down his alley. His ability to be able to switch out on guards and his ability to be able to contest 3-point shots and (traditionally) guard the post gives us a unique center.”

“It’s almost a must that you have that against Golden State, otherwise they’re going to get you. This will help. They’re still going to get us to a certain degree, but hopefully we can lessen that, than if we just had a traditional center who can’t guard on the perimeter.”

Whilst Harden's elite scoring and Paul's ability as a floor general will clearly dictate a great deal of the Rockets' success, it might just Capela that holds the key to their championship ambitions. 

Listen HERE to episode two of the new GiveMeSport NBA podcast, featuring New York Times senior writer Marc Stein.

Enjoy, and please subscribe for all future episodes.