Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. Credits Kevin Durant For Offseason Development

Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. has made strives with his development, and the second year forward has credited a portion of his progression to Kevin Durant.

HOUSTON — Jabari Smith Jr. has spent the off-season improving his game in Atlanta and Houston. Although his top objective is to help the Houston Rockets win more games during the 2023-24 campaign, Smith has his eyes set on making his first All-Star team.

Smith is determined to bring his game to a higher level as a sophomore. To help with his development, Smith has spent time with future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant, who has assisted in his off-season workouts.

"With K.D., it has been mutual things with other people," Smith said. "That was my first time actually talking to him, having a conversation, working out with him, and just being around him."

In Jabari Smith’s latest run, he was the primary defender on Kevin Durant.

It’s Kevin Durant in open runs, so of course KD gave Jabari buckets.

But you love to see the will and desire to guard a player of KD’s caliber by Jabari. He’s going to be a special defender as he grows. pic.twitter.com/erfIcR3vzP

— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) August 18, 2023

The Rockets are a month away from training camp, but players have spent the entire summer laying the groundwork for a successful season. An early self-evaluation has Smith believing he has improved his ball handling and physical strength.

In addition to working with Durant, Smith has also communicated with coach Ime Udoka, who has shared tips throughout the off-season on which attributes to work on in hopes of taking a significant leap next season.

"I am just getting back to who I am," Smith said. "I've been finding my identity. Finding what I am good at and improving on my weakness."

Smith described his rookie season as a learning experience, where he averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds across 79 games.

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