Inside The Rockets

Jabari Smith Jr.: Most 'Well-Rounded' Rockets Player?

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. has a lot to add to the table.

Jeremy Brener

Apr 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) drives around Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the third quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
Apr 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) drives around Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the third quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
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Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. is entering his third season in the league and he still has a lot of potential that has yet to be tapped into.

Smith grew a lot from Year 1 to Year 2, and there's a good chance he could see a similar type of growth in his third season.

"Smith might not have the highest ceiling in Houston's stable of young talent, but he's the most well-rounded player on the team and could be in for another leap this season. A versatile defender with great positional length, Smith's offense is coming around quickly. He pumped up his efficiency last season almost six true-shooting points from his rookie year, and he hit his 3s at a 36% clip. He's becoming more and more confident and capable in creating his own offense, too," CBS Sports analyst Sam Quinn writes.

Smith came into the league as a very capable defender, but his offense is gaining some steam. If he can continue to become a stronger 3-point shooter and move closer to 40 percent, he could emerge as one of the best young power forwards in the NBA.

There's a lot of mouths to feed in the Rockets offense, but if Smith can be patient and become more efficient, he could have another big year for Houston.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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