The Rockets had their first win of the new season, and Jabari Smith Jr., who had high hopes, also played his best performance since entering the NBA, with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks. His three-point shooting and defense are impressive. However, there was a discordant side in the final moments, and Jabari Jr. and Jaylen Green had an argument on the bench. Both are the hope of the Rockets' rebuild, and if they get into conflict, it's clearly not what the team wants to see.
Fortunately, Jabari Jr. and Green only communicated about the problems on the field, and the two disagreed and argued. This happens a lot on the basketball court and is not a big deal. It's just that these two young players may not have experience, and they use the game being broadcast live as their usual training ground, and still express their emotions without scruples.
After the two calmed down, they were fine. In the post-match press conference, Jaylen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. both praised Jabari Smith Jr.
In the Rockets' 114-108 win over the Jazz, we saw the momentum of the rise of the Hough Three, who all cut down 20+. This is an excellent phenomenon for rockets. If they continue to polish for two more years, as they grow and improve, the Rockets can be expected to become a playoff-caliber team again.
The template is Chris Bosh's Jabari Smith Jr. who showed off his talent as he shot 6-of-10 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Jabari Jr. has made 11 three-pointers in four games and is a very reliable shooter, in addition to contributing seven blocks, averaging 1.8 blocks per game.
Both played down the dispute after the game. "We're just competing and straightening things out, like what kind of defensive coverage to do and so on, and that's it." Jabari Jr. said. Green said, "Nothing. At the most crucial moments, sometimes things like this happen and the most important thing is that we can step on the pitch and finish the game. ”
The Jazz chased the score in the final minute and the Rockets held up. Jabari Smith Jr. also made all four free throws at key moments, showing excellent psychological quality. "Jabari Smith Jr. is one of the best shots on our team, and that is also true when it comes to free throws. So, we put our full trust in Jabari Jr. and trust him to shoot for the team. Teammate Kevin Porter Jr. said.
Green also praised the Tanhua after the game: "He's very talented and can be an offensive and defensive player. His height and long arms allow him to defend players in any position, while he also has the ability to shoot. ”
In this game, Jabari Jr. was arranged by coach Silas to play as a starting center. In the previous three games, Jabari Jr. was positioned as a power forward. But this match, Bruno Fernando was out due to injury, Alperen Shenkyung was absent due to illness, and Jabari Jr.'s position became a central striker, which required him to change his defense more. He got the job done, his footsteps moving fast enough to keep up with players who were smaller than him.
"I think the shooting options of Jabari Jr. are really good, he didn't force his shots. He also did a great job defensively, he played the No. 5 position, set up our defense, then hit multiple three-pointers, hit consecutive free throws at key moments, and I'm happy with that. "Having Jabari Jr. play as a center will make our squad more standard, and we want him to get some opportunities to block and shoot and jump shots, like we saw in his first three games as a centre, so I want to see him play like that." ”
Obviously, Silas will think more about letting Jabari Jr. play center forward in the future. In fact, Jabari Smith Jr.'s template, Chris Bosh, also played center often during his years with the Heat, and Bosh's previous position was power forward. Jabari Smith Jr. plays center, Kenyon Martin Jr. power forward, outside Gordon, Jaylen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., starters like the Rockets, and the offense becomes more flexible and more space-free.
Regarding the change to play as a starting centre-forward, Jabari Jr. said: "There will definitely be more communication because I feel like I can see everything in the centre-forward position. I feel like protecting the basket was my focus when I was in the No. 5 position. Without Fernando, Boban and Shin Kyung to protect the basket, I felt it was my responsibility. ”
Jabari Jr. is excellent defensively and is an offensive and defensive player, which is one of the reasons why he was a favorite to win the draft this year. At that time, his call to be the champion was once the highest, and the magic chose Banqueiro as the champion, which surprised many people. Of course, Banqueiro is indeed talented, and he has proven himself to be the top choice, and he has always played 20+ games in the new season, so it can be said that his performance is overwhelming Jabari Smith Jr. for the time being.
The Magic now have Banqueiro at the heart of the rebuild, and he has unlimited firing rights. But Jabari Smith Jr. clearly didn't have that treatment with the Rockets, with Jaylen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. having more of the ball.
Jabari Smith Jr. didn't shoot well in the first three games, shooting poorly from the field, shooting 6-of-17 from the field in the first game, 3-of-11 from three-point range, 3-of-14 from the field in the second game, 2-of-8 from three-point range, 5-of-15 from the field in the third game, and 3-of-7 from three-point range. Finally in the fourth battle, Jabari Smith Jr.'s feel picked up.
Jabari Smith Jr. had 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and three blocks, and was 3-of-5 from three-point range. Only Embiid and Wiggins also reached those numbers when they were rookies, and 19-year-old Smith was the youngest.
"I feel like I can choose my shots better, I feel like my teammates, all of us have a better pace." Jabari Smith Jr. said he is clearly more comfortable with the rhythm of the NBA. In this game, he was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, to which Jabari Smith Jr. said: "The coach believes I can get the ball and make free throws, I have to believe in myself to knock them out. ”
Jabari Smith Jr. made rapid progress. He was ready for all kinds of arrangements: "The coach trusted me to put me in all these positions. I had no choice but to believe in myself. ”
For Jabari Smith Jr., his performance this season is about the future, and the Rockets are considered to be a team that is in a bad position, and the Rockets have been the lowest in the league for the past two seasons. Grabbing the top pick and trying to get Vemban Yama will be an ideal choice for many teams in the new season. It's still just the early days, and in the second half I believe there will be some teams who won't be too scrupulous about losing.
Jabari Smith Jr. has a lot of work, he needs to keep gaining weight and make himself stronger. Jabari Smith Jr. currently weighs 220 pounds, which is a bit thinner for a big man who is 2.11 meters tall. Jabari Smith Jr.'s template Bosh weighs 235 pounds, or about 107 kilograms. Bosh became an All-Star and won a championship with the Heat. From the perspective of NBA career, Bosh is indeed a good NBA template for Jabari Smith Jr.
Jabari Smith Sr. was his mentor and often gave his son guidance so that Jabari Smith Jr. could avoid some detours. After playing well in Game 4 of the NBA, Jabari Smith Jr. gained momentum. He is also one of the candidates for the best rookie of the season, of course, Banqueiro has temporarily led the race for the best rookie with 20+ consecutive cuts, but the season is still long, and Jabari Smith Jr. still has a chance to counterattack.