Smith logged 20 points (6-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 7-8 FT), five rebounds and one block in 31 minutes during Sunday's 114-109 win over Washington.
The 19-year-old rookie led a balanced attack that saw seven different Houston players score in double digits, including all five starters. Smith scored at least 12 points himself in 11 straight games to close out his first NBA season, averaging 15.2 points, 8.0 boards, 1.5 assists, 1.2 threes and 1.0 blocks over that stretch and giving a glimpse of the upside that made him the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Another double-double on ledger
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Smith had 16 points (6-14 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 36 minutes during Tuesday's 124-103 win over Denver.
Smith has just one single-digit scoring effort in the last month, averaging 15.7 points and 8.7 boards over that span. He's been a reliable source of production around the rim of late as well, posting double-doubles in four of his last five games while also averaging a block per contest over that span. The rookie first-round pick has displayed signs of growth in the second half of the season and could be an intriguing breakout candidate in 2023-24. However, he continues to be plagued by poor shooting from deep, connecting on just 19.0 percent of his attempts from three over the last six games.
Rockets' Jabari Smith: Double-double in Monday's loss
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Smith produced 14 points (6-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal in 30 minutes during Monday's 137-115 loss to the Knicks.
Seven different Rockets scored in double digits on the night, but Smith was the only one to record a double-double. The rookie forward has 13 of them on the season, including five in the last 11 games -- a stretch in which Smith is averaging 17.3 points, 8.2 boards, 1.9 assists, 1.8 threes, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks. The third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft could be offering a preview of a Year Two breakout with his closing run.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Scores 20 in blowout loss
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Smith finished with 20 points (9-16 FG, 2-4 3Pt), eight rebounds and one block over 29 minutes during Friday's 151-114 loss to the Grizzlies.
Smith saw 29 minutes against the Grizzlies despite the Rockets being down 31 points at the half and was quite effective. The rookie shot 56 percent from the field and notched the second-most points for Houston. After struggling earlier in the year, he's reached double-digit scoring in 11 of the past 12 games, averaging 16.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 combined steals-plus-blocks.
Rockets' Jabari Smith: Posts double-double in loss
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Smith produced 17 points (7-15 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 39 minutes during Monday's 121-108 loss to the Warriors.
Smith scored in double figures for the ninth time over his past 10 appearances and logged his fourth double-double during that stretch. In March (11 games), the rookie first-round pick is averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals-plus-blocks in 33.5 minutes.
Smith produced 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 29 minutes during Friday's 114-112 win over New Orleans.
Smith was relatively passive on the offensive end Friday but landed the killer blow, a dagger three-pointer from distance. After a disappointing start to his career, Smith has come alive over the past two weeks, putting up top-60 value thanks to averages of 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 triples and 1.6 combined steals and blocks. Perhaps more importantly, he has connected on 54.7 percent of his shots from the field, well up from his 40.4 percent mark on the season.
Smith registered 24 points (9-11 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes during Monday's 111-109 victory over Boston.
Smith logged his third straight double-double in what has no doubt been his best string of games so far this season. Granted, he won't shoot this well every night, but the rookie forward has been much more consistent with his scoring efforts lately. So far in March, Smith is averaging 16.6 points on 55.8 percent shooting from the field.
Smith contributed 20 points (8-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 119-111 loss to the Bulls.
Smith has posted back-to-back games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, but he's also recorded at least one tally in each defensive category during both of those contests. Over his last five games -- arguably his best stretch of the season -- the rookie is averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals-plus-blocks in 33.8 minutes per game.
Smith amassed 30 points (10-19 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 7-9 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals over 47 minutes during Thursday's 134-125 overtime loss to Indiana.
Smith was firing on all cylinders Thursday, turning in easily the best performance of his young career. In what has been a disappointing rookie campaign, Smith was finally able to deliver on the hype, putting up solid contributions on both ends of the floor. The Rockets are going to continue handing him as many minutes as possible, providing him an excellent opportunity to build on this moving forward. Managers shouldn't expect numbers like this very often, but at this point, any progression is a bonus.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Comes close to double-double
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Smith provided 15 points (6-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt) and eight rebounds across 32 minutes during Tuesday's 118-96 loss to the Nets.
Smith ended just two boards away from recording what would've been his first double-double since Feb. 13. For all the inconsistencies he's had in his rookie year, Smith seems to be trending in the right direction of late with 10 or more points in seven of his last 10 contests. The efficiency remains an issue, however, as he's making just 38.9 percent of his shots and 26.7 percent of his three-point attempts during that span.
Smith closed with nine points (3-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-6 FT), eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal over 38 minutes during Sunday's 131-114 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Smith continues to struggle with his shot and has shot just 28.6 percent from the field over his past four games. However, he's been able to savage his production by posting 9.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals during that stretch. The rookie first-round pick is a major piece of Houston's future and should remain a quality fantasy asset due to his production on the boards and elite defensive skills.
