LAKE CHARLES, La. — If Day 1 of the Houston Rockets training camp is any indication of what type of season second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. will have, some fans may want to start considering buying Toyota Center ticket plans with playoff options.
That may be a stretch, but all the hard work in the offseason has paid off for the No. 3 selection in the 2022 NBA draft.
Buy Rockets Tickets“I just want to build,” Smith said when asked about goals for his sophomore season. “I want to show what I have added to my game and what I have learned. Just be more confident and more consistent and be like a whole different player. Confidence-wise, swagger-wise, just a whole different player.”
On Tuesday, inside the Legacy Center at McNeese State University, Smith may have channeled the spirit of one of his offseason workout partners, Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant. He received the ball at the top of the key from new teammate Fred VanVleet and proceeded to drive left toward the basket past his defender and was airborne before Tari Eason could rotate over to help. Smith finished the dunk and got a foul called.
“We were competing from the jump,” Smith said of the competitiveness at training camp. “Everybody came into training camp in shape, so it was good that we could get off to that good start. It was just good to see everybody competing and in shape going at each other. That is a good start to get off to.”
Jabari Smith Jr. catching bodies on the first day of camp. #Rockets #Sarge @TheRocketsWire pic.twitter.com/U1uWzQlkFj
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) October 3, 2023
The former Auburn standout put the NBA world on notice this offseason when he participated in summer league at Las Vegas. He averaged a league-high 35.5 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in two games before being shut down for the remaining games.
Smith finished last season averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, earning NBA All-Rookie second-team honors. This season, his goal is to take the next step in becoming a leader, both on the court and in the locker room. Even though the Rockets have added veteran leadership this offseason, Smith wants to be a player his teammates can look up to and help continue the rebuild.
“I just want to make it easier on the guys (rookies) coming in, because this is a hard league,” Smith said. “It is not easy, so just helping those guys as much as possible.”
