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 he observed while a member of the team. This week, the Rockets made headlines again for the wrong reasons when head coach Stephen Silas revealed that he doesn't run plays at all for No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr.
Stephen Silas on Jabari Smith Jr.: “He is young and trying to find his way. Jabari has grit and toughness and tries defensively. And he’s not given much at all … I don’t run any plays for Jabari.” https://t.co/ZagNRXf50M
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) February 15, 2023
It hasn't been such a smooth transition to the NBA for Jabari Smith. He was a lottery pick who at one point had built up momentum for being the No. 1 overall pick due to his play at Auburn. Smith has struggled at times to find his footing in the Rockets offense and it makes a little more sense now watching him if Stephen Silas really isn't calling any plays for him. While it can take rookies a little while to get acclimated to the NBA, Smith was a top-3 pick with the expectations of producing fairly quickly.
This season, Smith has been averaging 11.9 points per game and 7.0 rebounds with shooting splits of 38.8 percent shooting from the field, 30.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 79.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line. He will be in attendance though for NBA All-Star Weekend as a participant in both the Rising Stars Challenge and the Skills Competition alongside fellow rookies Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey.
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