Considering the obvious context of being a 19-year-old rookie on one of the NBA’s worst teams, Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. had a satisfactory rookie season in 2022-23. He averaged 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 31 minutes per game.
But Smith’s shooting numbers (40.8% FG, 30.7% on 3-pointers) and defensive impact weren’t what many envisioned when he came out of Auburn. That’s part of the reason he was named to the league’s All-Rookie second team, as opposed to being a first-team selection.
