Prized Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. Now Resumes Basketball Activities

After recovering from a minor ankle injury, Houston Rockets’ top rookie Jabari Smith Jr. is now cleared for basketball activities.

Jabari Smith Jr. is now participating in team practices, with the aim of suiting up for the Houston Rockets season opener against the Atlanta Hawks on October 19. Smith reportedly sustained an ankle injury during a team practice last October 5th and has sat out the Rockets’ preseason games since. Fortunately, the ankle injury is nothing serious, and the decision of resting Smith is more of a precautionary procedure, per Rockets assistant coach John Lucas.

Selected by the Rockets with the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Smith is entering the league with tons of expectations. At 6-foot-10, he possesses elite athleticism, tremendous mobility, and excellent instincts that allow him to be great on the defensive end of the floor. He could guard positions one through five, an asset that made him highly touted prior to the draft. Smith played college ball for the Auburn Tigers, where he averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds, including a scintillating 42% clip from beyond the arc.

On top of his defensive versatility, Smith’s ability to shoot from the outside also provides high value for the Rockets. He won’t turn 20 until May of next year, so there’s still a lot of room for him to expand his skill set. Youth is a mantra for the rebuilding Rockets, as their best players are composed of Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Alperen Sengun — all of which have not spent beyond three years in the league.   

Jabari Smith Jr. should immediately get a lot of minutes playing for head coach Stephen Silas. The Rockets’ projected starting lineup — if everyone is healthy — would be Porter and Green on the backcourt, with Smith, Sengun, and Jae’Sean Tate or Eric Gordon manning the frontcourt.