HOUSTON — Once media members were allowed into the Toyota Center practice facility on Tuesday, we walked into the gym area and found a very intense scrimmage taking place. It was between the Rockets’ 2022 summer league roster, which had been split into two teams.
The team led by second-year guard Josh Christopher and rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr., who was picked at No. 3 overall in the 2022 NBA draft, was down by three points with 1:03 left on the clock.
Daishen Nix stood on the baseline looking for a teammate to throw the ball to, but they were all covered except for Smith, who made himself available by using his tall frame and athletic ability to separate himself from his opponent. Nix threw the ball over the defender into the waiting hands of Smith beyond the 3-point arc, who immediately jab-stepped to the right and exploded left towards the basket.
