Rockets Draft C Jabari Smith Jr With No. 3 Pick

Might not have been who most expected, but the Rockets get their guy.

The mystery is over and the Houston Rockets got their guy.

The team selected dynamic 6-10 forward Jabari Smith out of Auburn with the top overall pick in the NBA Draft

Smith, the player widely considered the No. 1 selection, fell to Houston after Paolo Banchero was taken first by the Orlando Magic and Chet Holmgren was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Regarded as the best pure shooter in this year’s class after shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc in his freshman campaign, Smith will be a reliable dish out option for Houston’s playmakers.

“What I love about him is he’s NBA ready to shoot the basketball from deep, in his workout he went 45 for 50 from three,” Turner's Steve Smith said.

In a league that values defensive versatility, Smith’s ability to guard one through four is what stands out the most. He is not always looking for the highlight play, but Smith’s defensive impact goes far beyond the box score.

His 7-1 wingspan and textbook close-out’s makes life miserable for opposing offenses, especially jump-shooters that think they have an open look.

The First-Team All-SEC selection was one of the driving forces of an Auburn defense that ranked in the Top 10 of the country in defensive efficiency.

In 34 games for the Tigers last season, Smith Jr. had 12 multi-steal games to go along with nine multi-block games. That combination of defensive versatility is why he drew comparisons to Memphis Grizzlies Defensive Player of the Year finalist Jaren Jackson Jr.

Now, Smith comes to Houston and is expected to team up in the frontcourt with Alperen Sengun.

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