Jabari Smith Jr. May Have to Come Off Rockets Bench

The Houston Rockets could have Jabari Smith Jr. in the second unit.

Dec 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr (10) leaves the court following the game against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are getting excited over the long-awaited return of Jabari Smith Jr. back to the lineup.

The former No. 3 overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft has been out of action since Jan. 1 after breaking his hand, forcing him to miss almost two months of action in a critical time for the team.

The Rockets lost five of seven going into the All-Star break, so the team is hoping for a reset upon return, and that could coincide with Smith's return to the lineup.

It remains to be seen if the Rockets will keep Smith in the starting lineup or if he will come off of the bench. While Smith has been a starter for every game so far in his NBA career, things may change with the resurgence of Amen Thompson.

Thompson has taken Smith's spot in the starting lineup since he injured himself and has looked like the best player on the team, so a potential demotion wouldn't be a reflection on how the Rockets feel about their power forward, but rather how well the former Overtime Elite guard has played.

This is a good problem for the Rockets to have, because both Smith and Thompson have the same goal to get Houston towards winning basketball. While both would likely appreciate a spot in the starting lineup, it's hard to justify both of them starting without benching one of Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks or Alperen Sengun.

Smith could make his first appearance back for the Rockets on Friday when the team takes on Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.

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