Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. Proving Worth In Recent Stretch

Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, has shown what the Houston Rockets received over his latest stretch of games.

In the early stages of his young career, Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. has seen it all. 

From being projected as the consensus No. 1 pick leading up to June's NBA Draft, to falling two spots to Houston at No. 3, to early struggles that are often forgotten in the fast-paced state of the current NBA. 

But despite the ups and downs in the early going, Smith and the Rockets did not lose sight of the potential the 19-year-old showed in his freshman campaign at Auburn where he was crowned SEC Freshman of the Year. 

"[Smith] helps his teammates, he’s long and athletic, he fills the gaps," head coach Stephen Silas said. "As far as his instincts and the things he can do, he’s going to be a very good player in this league."

Heading into Sunday's match-up against the defending champion Golden State Warriors in arguably the coldest stretch of his season, Smith erupted for a new career-high 22 points on 8-of-14 from the field and seven rebounds. 

But despite the close 127-120 loss, this proved to be a turning point in the forward's mantra. 

"[Those are] some of the greatest players to ever do it out there," Smith said following the loss. "Definitely a confidence booster going out there and knowing I can compete with some of the greatest."

Smith followed this up with a 21-point outing, knocking down five three pointers and pulling down nine boards in the victory against the Atlanta Hawks. 

And in Saturday's back-to-back win and conclusion of Houston's four game homestand, Smith made history with his 15 points and 13 rebounds - becoming just the third teenager in history to average 19 points and nine rebounds with three triples in a three-game span. 

"The way to get [Smith] better and more opportunities is to push the ball, get the ball into the paint, get to our drive-and-kicks and space the floor well," Silas said. "That leads to us sharing the ball, it leads to guys getting more opportunities with less play calls.

Due to foul trouble, Smith finished Monday's contest against the Denver Nuggets with nine points in 17 minutes. But he will have a chance at redemption Wednesday night when the Rockets close their two-games series against the Nuggets inside Ball Arena. 

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You can follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter at @RileyDSheppard

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