In the Wedding Singer, when Adam Sandler's character melts down, it's Jon Lovitz who reaps all the benefits. For the Houston Rockets, when Kevin Durant is added to the mix, it's Jabari Smith Jr. who gets to do the same.
Durant’s arrival in Houston hasn’t just changed the Rockets’ offense (currently ranked No. 1 in offensive rating), it’s also unlocked Smith. In Wednesday’s win over Toronto, the fourth-year forward turned in the most complete performance of his young career, powered in large part by the attention Durant commands.
The 25-5-5 performance was the first of Smith's career, as he scored the 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while also knocking down 4-of-9 three-pointers.
“I'm playing with KD, I'm playing with Alpi. You got to pick your poison. So that's just how it's gonna be all year,” Smith said after the game.
Durant's usage rate is the lowest of his career and his 17 shot attempts per game would be the second lowest of his career, only behind his (comparable) first season in Golden State. Yet it's his presence and magnetic pull that continue to create open looks for others, most notably Smith.
A good amount of Smith's baskets came on kickout three-pointers, as the Raptors were content with focusing on Durant and Sengun, allowing the less-heralded Smith to try to beat them. Something that could be a common occurrence this year.
“Teams doubling them, and we're being unselfish making the right play,” Smith explained postgame.
Durant could even be credited with a few “hockey assists,” as Smith had five assists of his own in Wednesday's win, with four of them to Sengun on extra passes. A trickle-down effect of KD's influence.
Durant's addition makes life easier for everyone on the floor. But his presence will be most impactful on Smith's development. The two have trained together the last three off-seasons, even before they were teammates.
“It is always good to get in the gym with the younger guys,” Durant said in 2024 about his time working with Smith, via si.com. “They see the game with a different perspective. I am asking the same stuff, I am still a student of the game, even though I've seen everything. We were just bouncing ideas off each other. I am glad to see them playing better… and taking that next step.”
Smith, who has a similar build to Durant (6'11” and 220 pounds with an outside shot), wanted Durant's help on getting to his shots and how to execute plays with certain movements. Lessons that are, funny enough, now being applied in real time.
“He's had a huge impact [on me],” Smith told Space City Home Network's Vanessa Richardson on the court following the big win Wednesday. “Just watching how he approaches the game, how he lets the game come to him, how unselfish he is… he's a great teammate, a great dude to look up to and I'm glad to be playing with him, glad to be learning from him.”
You can see the confidence grow for Smith, who is currently averaging a career-high 16 points per game in his first year playing alongside his mentor.
