Rockets Forward Jabari Smith Jr. Already Settling in to NBA

Houston forward Jabari Smith Jr. is settling into the NBA as a shooter and defender already.

After a slow shooting start to his career, third overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. is already settling into the grind of the NBA.

The projected first overall pick before a secretive, last-second swap, Smith Jr. was welcomed by the Houston front office with open arms. But he likely didn’t get off to the start he wanted.

Now a good chunk of games into the season, Smith Jr. is already settling into his role as a sharpshooting defender alongside the Rockets big guns.

In his last 11 games, Smith Jr. is scoring 14.7 points per game while shooting 48 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also bringing down 7.3 rebounds.

Troy Taormina / USA TODAY Sports

A slow start was expected for Smith Jr. by some. At just 19-year-olds, dreams of dominating the NBA offensively or defensively this early were just that. But the good news is Smith Jr. has plenty of time to hone his two best skills and he’s already begun doing that.

Alongside Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and the Rockets other pieces of the future, Smith Jr. will be allowed to hone his outside shooting and switchabbility on the defensive end for the foreseeable future.

Smith Jr. has been better of late, but should he see another dip in production, Rockets’ fans should have no reason to fret. There’s plenty of time for him to sharpen his skills in the coming seasons.

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