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Jabari Smith Jr. entered the NBA with a lot of hype and was always slated to go top 3 in the NBA draft. His shot creation as a lengthy forward in college was very apparent, and many basketball pundits figured that he would be an impactful player from the get-go.
Unfortunately, Jabari has encountered more ups and downs this season than expected, averaging just 12.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game on 38.9% shooting from the field.
Though Jabari is still a very promising young player, the reality remains that he hasn’t been the player the Houston Rockets were hoping he’d be when they selected him as the third pick of the 2022 NBA draft.
With this in mind, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas doesn’t seem to be happy with the way Jabari has been playing this season. Appearing in a recent interview, Silas blatantly criticized the 19-year old rookie while admitting that he doesn’t run plays for him.
“He is young and trying to find his way. Jabari has grit and toughness and tries defensively. And he’s not given much at all … I don’t run any plays for Jabari.”
Stephen Silas on Jabari Smith Jr.: “He is young and trying to find his way. Jabari has grit and toughness and tries defensively. And he’s not given much at all … I don’t run any plays for Jabari.” https://t.co/ZagNRXf50M
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) February 15, 2023
