Jabari Smith Jr. prepares for elevated role with Rockets in 2026-27 season
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 8, 2026, 5:41 PM
Last updated Oct 8, 2026
Jabari Smith Jr. enters his fifth season with the Houston Rockets, having established a starting role. He set career-highs last season in minutes, points, and assists, showcasing his reliability as a forward. Smith contributed solid defense and shooting, with a particular focus on 3-point shooting. Expectations are high for him to elevate his game to elite levels, especially from long range. The Rockets aim for Smith to become a key component alongside Alperen Şengün.
- •Smith played 77 games last season with averages of 15.8 points and 1.9 assists.
- •He shot 36.3% from three-point range with primarily assisted makes.
- •Smith's defensive metrics place him highly among power forwards.
- •The Rockets expect Smith to become an elite shooter this season.
- •He remains focused on improving his shot volume and rim defense.
- 5:41 PMYahoo Sports — Jabari Smith Jr. was solid at a lot of things last season. Can he become elite at any of them?
"Jabari Smith Jr. set career-highs in per-game minutes, points and assists for Rockets last season but faces higher expectations.
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