Bruce Pearl, who was Jabari Smith Jr.’s head coach at Auburn University, joins Wednesday’s episode of The Lager Line podcast to break down the start to Smith’s young NBA career with the Houston Rockets.
Topics include reaction to Smith’s initial summer league games and how to best utilize him in Houston; what his potential fit alongside Jalen Green looks like; memories at Auburn and on the recruiting trail; early impressions of fellow rookies Tari Eason and TyTy Washington; and more.
“He is going to be a guy that coaches can point to with what time he gets in the locker room, and how he practices every single day,” Pearl said of his expectations for Smith with the Rockets. He continued:
