The Houston Rockets returned to action on Friday for their first outing since the All-Star break. The eight-day layoff allowed a key player to heal up enough to return from injury. Jabari Smith Jr. suited up and played for the first time since New Year’s Day, coming off the bench. That is a role that Snith Jr. has little knowledge of, will he inevitably return to the starting lineup?
Rockets Forward Makes First Career Appearance Off Bench
Jabari Smith Jr. Comes Off Bench In Injury Return
The post-All-Star break portion of the regular season began for the Rockets on Friday. It resulted in a Houston win at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves by the score of 121-115. The victory improved the Rockets record to 35-21, good for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference.
After missing 22 consecutive outings, the 21-year-old Smith Jr. returned to action for the Rockets. He was sidelined with a broken left hand that was sustained in a team shootaround on January 3. Houston went 12-10 with the 6-foot-11 power forward not in the lineup.
Despite being unable to play for more than a month and a half, it seemed as if no minutes restriction was placed on Smith Jr. He ended up playing 38 minutes in Houston’s win on Friday, finishing the outing with 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a block. Smith Jr. shot 5-9 from the field (4-6 from beyond the arc).
In his 34 games this season, Smith Jr. has averages of 12.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks. He has shot 43.8% from the field, 36.6% from three-point range, and 85.7% from the foul line.
The Rockets have had high hopes for Smith Jr. since selecting him out of Auburn with the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Now in his third season, he was quickly inserted into the starting lineup. As a matter of fact, Smith Jr. was part of the Rockets starting five for the first 188 games of his career. Friday marked the first time that he ever came off the bench at the NBA level.
Will He Return To Starting Lineup?
While Smith Jr. has been out of the Rockets lineup, Amen Thompson has been utilized with Houston’s starters. Now in his second season, Thompson was taken fourth overall by the Rockets in the 2023 NBA Draft. After starting 23 of his 62 outings as a rookie, he has started each of his last 21 appearances.
During that time, a case can be made that Thompson has been the team’s best player, particularly when also considering his play on the defensive end. In Smith Jr.’s absence, Thompson has posted averages of 16.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks. He has shot 53.6% from the field and 72.8% from the charity stripe.
The Rockets have also been without Fred VanVleet with a right ankle strain. Tari Eason has taken a spot in the starting lineup in VanVleet’s absence.
It remains to be seen if Smith Jr. will return to his normal role in the starting lineup. Friday made it clear though that he will still see ample playing time even if he stays with the reserves.
Photo credit: © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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