18 months ago, Jabari Smith Jr. was on favorable waivers to be selected number 1 in the 2022 Draft. Finally selected in 3rd position by the Rockets, behind Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren, the young Houston interior has a hard time living up to the comparison, whether on the media or sports plan.
But the former Auburn star player is progressing month by month, and he took advantage of his first clash with Holmgren to actually grab a career record with 18 rebounds! Better, he helped Alperen Sengun to stifle the OKC rookie, limited to 6 points on 2 of 9 shots, with only 5 rebounds, but also 6 blocks.
Additional motivation
“Of course there was excess motivation” recognizes Smith about this meeting against the Thunder. “When a team doesn't choose you, it always sticks in your mind… But at the same time, they made a choice, and you have to live with it. I'm going to use it as motivation for years to come because it's a team that's growing fast, and we're going to see them for a long time to come. »
And what assessment does he draw from his duel with Chet Holmgren? “I think I defended well. He only scored two baskets against me. You just have to know his habits… It was the first time I faced him since summer league over a year ago. I knew we would continue to learn from each other. I'm sure he'll watch the video and find ways to attack better against us. »
Like the Rockets, the Magic and the Thunder are aiming for a return to the playoffs, and Smith knows that he will often find his two Draft comrades. “ They're both on teams that are in great shape right now, in Orlando and OKC. Seeing how well they're playing and how much they're helping their teams, I'm trying to focus on what we have here to try to string together wins.” he continues. “For us in particular (Holmgren and Smith) who are both in the West and trying to help these two franchises get back to winning ways, it's obvious that we're going to see each other for a while. »
Valuable versatility in defense
This night, Smith focused on rebounding, and his complementarity with Sengun is increasingly evident. Everyone has their role in the paint, and Smith happily agrees to do the dirty work. “(Assistant) Ben Sullivan insists that I dominate on the rebound, and that's definitely something I can do. Especially when teams play “small ball” because I can defend on the inside then switch to a back” he recalls.
But to compare with Banchero and Holmgren, he will also have to take a step forward in attack. For seven games, he has averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block. Stats more in line with his status as 3rd choice in the Draft. “It’s always good to see improvements” he concludes. “My progress allows the team to win, and that’s the most important thing. »
