Jabari Smith Jr. Articles - Page 2

The elite defense has returned. After falling behind by as many as seven points, the Houston Rockets stayed in Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans with unstoppable defense in the final stretches. On a career-high night, Alperen Sengun and the Rockets narrowly defeated a fully healthy Pelicans team on the road, securing a tight […]

HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets really had a chance to spoil this historic night. During the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo passed NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most rebounds in Milwaukee Bucks history. On top of that, the newly acquired Damian Lillard scored 39, and both Rockets forward Dillon Brooks and coach Ime Udoka were ejected after […]

The Houston Rockets may not have convinced pundits that they were ready to take the next step into becoming playoff contenders with their offseason moves, but their play during the 2023-24 season certainly has. On Wednesday night, thanks to two Rockets draft picks from the class of 2022, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, they […]

In a back-and-forth game at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets found themselves on the losing end, falling to the Dallas Mavericks 121-115. This loss not only eliminates the Rockets from the In-Season Tournament, but also extends their road woes. In addition to being 8-7 on the season, Houston is now 0-6 […]

Houston, do we have a playoff team? Folks, this is a question we need to start asking, because the Houston Rockets look like a team on the ascent. And really, wasn’t that the entire point of going out and hiring Ime Udoka? Wasn’t that the point of signing Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks? Isn’t this […]

Jabari Smith Jr. has been commonly compared to Kevin Durant since bursting onto nationwide basketball scene as a freshman at Auburn in 2021-22. Now in his second year with the Houston Rockets, Smith doesn’t quite project as the all-court scoring force that’s made Durant one of the greatest players in NBA history. Still, his smooth […]

The newly retooled Houston Rockets are 6-3 on the young NBA season and turning heads as one of the most exciting and talented young teams in the league. Coach Ime Udoka is helping to shift the perspective of fans on the Rockets in leading them forward despite their youth. The All-Star Game merits of Alperen […]

HOUSTON – The 126-121 loss in overtime against the San Antonio Spurs was certainly winnable to say the least. However, due to costly plays by expected stars in Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. down the stretch, the Houston Rockets now face a 0-2 hole to start the season, with a home opener set on […]

It’s confirmed. Victor Wembanyama is him. The San Antonio Spurs rookie is off to a promising start to begin his NBA career, showing well in preseason and then having a solid regular season debut a couple of nights ago. While there’s no question Wemby will have a bit of growing pains as he gets used […]

Every NBA season, we’ve seen growth across the entire league not only pertaining to teams taking a step in the right direction, but players ascending from secondary talents to primary contributors for their organization. This upcoming season, many players will once again prove that their hard work during the offseason paid off, as a slew […]

The Houston Rockets are scheduled to take on Orlando in the Magic Kingdom on October 25, tipping off the 2023-2024 NBA season in Florida. It should be an exciting one for the Rockets regardless of their finish, as the team is loaded with young talent as well as controversial defensive stalwart Dillon Brooks, who arrived […]

The 2023-24 NBA season is almost here with training camps set to open at the end of the month. For many NBA teams, the starting lineup is not set in stone. Training camp and preseason will likely decide who gets into the starting lineup once the regular season begins. For one of those teams, the […]

Houston Rockets forward-center Jabari Smith Jr. knows that there will be a lot of eyes on him next season as he looks to bounce back from a rough rookie campaign. A fast riser on draft boards early in his freshman year at Auburn, Smith looked like a shadow of the player he was projected to […]

Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets has recently been watching the show called “Quarterback” on Netflix, and got brutally honest about the difficulty of the position in a tweet he put out reacting to the show. “I’m watching quarterback on Netflix… quarterback is definitely the hardest position in ALL of sports. This is crazy […]

After adding a couple of household names to elevate the team defensively and amassing one of the best young cores in the NBA, the Houston Rockets and their fans can’t wait for the 2023-24 season to start. Especially with Rockets face of the franchise Jalen Green locked-in all summer, looking to take his game to […]

LAS VEGAS — As is the case every single year, basketball fans from around the world travel to NBA Summer League in order to watch the top incoming talents, especially the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. Victor Wembanyama was the headliner everyone flocked to see during the first weekend of Summer League. After […]

The Houston Rockets roster has been crying out loud for a veteran leader who could help build a winning culture in H-Town amid the franchise’s efforts to rebuild. And this offseason, they signed two players with considerable experience in winning situations, adding Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to their young core led by Jalen Green, […]

The Houston Rockets own a 2-0 record in the NBA Summer League so far, largely thanks to the play of forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. They have been two of the top performers of the NBA Summer League so far. Smith averaged 35.5 points, seven rebounds, and four assists per game in the […]

Jabari Smith Jr. did not have the most seamless of rookie seasons. The Houston Rockets, as a whole, were a mess during the 2022-23 season, winning just 22 games and drawing considerable flak around the league for lacking the veteran presences needed to help mold their youngsters into winning players. But Smith’s efficiency problems and […]

The Houston Rockets will be one of the more intriguing teams during the 2023-24 season. Houston’s already made a number of impactful roster moves and they are expected to improve moving forward. Jabari Smith Jr may also be in line for progression, and he recently commented on why he opted to play in the NBA […]

Houston Rockets big man Jabari Smith Jr. wore his Superman cape and saved the day in their Summer League showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. With just 0.6 seconds left and the Blazers ahead 99-97, Smith received the inbound at the top of the 3-point arc and quickly launched it from there to […]

The Houston Rockets organization and fan base are both rightly excited after selecting Overtime Elite point guard Amen Thompson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. One of the most exhilarating prospects in recent memory due to what could become a signature blend of breathtaking athleticism and cerebral playmaking at 6-foot-7, Thompson […]

Rumor has it that the New Orleans Pelicans are ready to move on from Zion Williamson. New Orleans is apparently floating the 2019 No. 1 overall pick in trade discussions to move up in the 2023 NBA Draft. The Houston Rockets are reportedly one of the teams that have entered the fray in trading for […]

It may be the offseason right now but the Houston Rockets are making the necessary preparations ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. As a matter of fact, they’re practice sessions may have gotten a bit too intense, especially when you consider that we’re currently right smack in the middle of summer. Rockets stud Jabari Smith Jr. […]

Jabari Smith Jr. has heard the rumors about James Harden potentially reuniting with the Houston Rockets, and he actually loves it. However, he wouldn’t mind as well if it doesn’t happen. The Rockets youngster shared as much during an interview with HoopsHype, noting that they still need to focus on improving their play individually and […]

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. salvaged his rookie year with strong play towards the end of the 2022-23 regular season. Still, it’s still a curious choice for him to take to Twitter and second controversial ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins’ opinion that the Milwaukee Bucks season was “a complete failure.” “Are we serious right now,” […]

The Houston Rockets are on a roll, extending their winning streak to three on Friday off an epic clutch performance from rookie big man Jabari Smith Jr. against the New Orleans Pelicans. With just four second left and the Pelicans up by one, 112-111, Smith took matters into his own hands to deliver the Rockets […]

The Houston Rockets are on pace to finish with the worst record in the NBA for the third season in a row. As frustrating as it can be for fans of a franchise that has grown accustomed to winning over the greater part of the last 20 years, bottoming out has helped the Rockets accumulate […]

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta may have just tipped everyone off about his plans for the 2023 NBA Draft (h/t Ben Dubose of Rockets Wire), with an emphatic “pray for Victor!” message when asked about his team during Galveston’s Mardi Gras celebration. Metropolitans 92 big man Victor Wembanyama is projected to be the first pick […]

Friday, February 17th marks the 60th birthday of the greatest to ever do it. Michael Jordan officially turns into a senior citizen today, and Houston Rockets rookie Jabair Smith Jr. has a savage message for the Chicago Bulls legend. Smith, who is set to take part in the NBA All-Star weekend’s Rising Stars tournament, just […]

Get Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. in the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest. Speaking to reporters at his Jordan Rising Stars Challenge media availability during 2023 All-Star Weekend, Smith says that he “definitely” wants to be a participant in the iconic event in the future. “I feel like I’m a pretty good shooter. I feel […]

Houston Rockets rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. will be a participant during All-Star Weekend after he and teammates Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason, were invited to the Jordan Rising Stars Challenge. Smith, the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, hasn’t had an ideal start to his NBA career. Though he has […]

The Houston Rockets have had a forgettable season. They are currently 13-44 and at the bottom of not only the Western Conference standings but at they are at the bottom of the league standings overall. Earlier this season, the Rockets made headlines when John Wall spoke out about the apparent lack of culture and accountability […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Chet Holmgren in the 2022 NBA Draft with the No. 2 overall pick. Their selection came after the Orlando Magic had taken Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall. Jabari Smith Jr., who ended up going No. 3 overall to the Houston Rockets, was reportedly stunned after the Thunder passed up on […]

Super Bowl 57 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles was a battle that came down to the wire, with the Chiefs eventually prevailing by a score of 38-35. As you would expect, shortly after the game, Eagles fans weren’t particularly pleased with the outcome, and they took to the streets to voice their […]

LeBron James is 38 years old and has been playing in the NBA for 20 years now. The Los Angeles Lakers star was reminded of that fact as he faced Jabari Smith Jr. and the Houston Rockets on Monday. James and Smith had a funny little exchange on the court where the Rockets rookie told […]

With 2023 officially here, the NBA season is approaching its halfway mark. Teams now have a general idea of where they will be competing at the end of the 2022-23 season. Not only that, rookies are getting noticed and some such as Paolo Banchero look like the future of the league. Below, we’ll take a […]

Don’t put words into Jabari Smith Jr.’s mouth. That is the message of the Houston Rockets rookie after a fan accused him of giving head coach Stephen Silas a death stare. During the Rockets’ game against the New York Knicks on Saturday, Smith was seen intently listening at Silas when the head coach was talking […]

The 2022-23 NBA season has officially hit the quarter mark. We recently looked at our updated NBA MVP Power Rankings for this season, with stars such as Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Stephen Curry leading the way. On the other hand, rookies are trying to show they are the future of […]