Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. Felt Summer League Was 'Good Opportunity'
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets had a successful outing during the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League tournament. The Rockets went 5-0 during the preliminary round and advanced before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Summer League Finals on July 17.
Rookie Cam Whitmore won Summer League MVP honors. But if Jabari Smith Jr. had a chance to finish the tournament, the second-year forward would have won the award instead.
"It was a good opportunity to show what I worked on while playing in a different scenario," Smith said. "When they [the Rockets] told me I was done, I thought it was a good and successful Summer League."
Smith played two games with teammate and close friend Tari Eason. Developing their games played a significant role in the players' participation in Las Vegas, but Smith revealed setting a winning culture within the franchise was the primary goal.
Smith averaged a Summer League-high 35.5 points, seven rebounds and four assists over the previous two games. Eason averaged 23.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The pairing of Eason and Smith led the Rockets to a 2-0 start with wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons. During Houston's 113-101 win over the Pistons, Smith came two points shy of becoming the sixth player in Summer League history to score 40 points. He scored a game-high 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting.
"They pulled us, as they should, but we still cheered the team on," Smith said. "We were hoping they won. But they did well without us."
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
Want the latest in news and insider information on the Houston Rockets? Click here
Follow Inside the Rockets on Facebook here
Follow Inside the Rockets on Twitter @InsideRocketsFN
Want even more Houston Rockets news? Check out the SI.com team page here
