Jabari Smith Jr.
Smith with the Houston Rockets in 2023
No. 10 – Houston Rockets
PositionPower forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2003-05-13) May 13, 2003
Fayetteville, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolSandy Creek (Tyrone, Georgia)
CollegeAuburn (2021–2022)
NBA draft2022: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–presentHouston Rockets
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Gold medal – first place2019 BrazilTeam

Jabari Montsho Smith Jr. (born May 13, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Auburn Tigers.

Born in Fayetteville, Georgia, to former professional basketball player Jabari Smith Sr., Smith began playing basketball at a young age under his father's mentorship. Smith attended Sandy Creek High School, where in his senior year the team made a state championship appearance. In high school, Smith was named a McDonald's All-American and Mr. Georgia Basketball. A five star prospect ranked the nation's number seven overall recruit, he committed to Auburn University to play college basketball. As a freshman at Auburn, Smith helped the team achieve their first ever AP poll number one ranking and an SEC regular season championship. At the conclusion of his freshman year, Smith was named an All-American, and won the USBWA National Freshman of the Year Award. Following his freshman season, Smith would declare for the 2022 NBA draft and was selected by the Rockets with the third overall pick. He is also a distant cousin of NBA player Kwame Brown.

Early life and high school career

Smith was born on May 13, 2003, in Fayetteville, Georgia, to Jabari Smith Sr. and Taneskia Purnell. His father played college basketball at LSU, and had a four year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, before playing overseas in Spain, Turkey, Iran and Puerto Rico.[1] Smith began playing basketball when he was five, and was trained by his father.[1] His father while in the NBA had noticed the arrival of tall international players with strong shooting, and decided to mold Smith as a player that despite his tall height, would win with shooting rather than with size.[2] At the age of 15, Smith would join the Atlanta Celtics on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit, coached by the father of star Auburn point guard Jared Harper.[2][3]

Smith started playing varsity basketball as a sophomore at Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, Georgia.[4] As a junior, he averaged 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game.[5] In his senior season, Smith averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks per game, leading his team to a Class 3A state runner-up finish. He was named Mr. Georgia Basketball, Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-Classification Player of the Year.[6][7][8] Smith was selected to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit and finished as a runner up for Mr. Basketball USA.[9]

Recruiting

Smith with the Auburn Tigers in 2022

Smith was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2021 class.[10][11][12] On October 9, 2020, he announced his commitment to play college basketball for Auburn University over offers from Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Upon his commitment he became the highest ranked player to commit to Auburn in the modern recruiting era.[13] Smith has said that he committed to Auburn due to his fit within the teams play style under head coach Bruce Pearl, the school's relatively close proximity to his hometown and because the school could provide him a more traditional college experience than he would get elsewhere.[1][13]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jabari Smith Jr.
PF		 Fayetteville, GA Sandy Creek (GA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Oct 9, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 7  247Sports: 7  ESPN: 6
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Auburn 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  • "2021 Auburn Tigers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 3, 2021.

College career

Smith entered his freshman season with high expectations due to his recruiting ranking.[14] Smith emerged as a leader in preseason practice with coach Bruce Pearl describing him as "the hardest working player on the team."[14] He made his college debut against Morehead State in a 77–54 victory for the Tigers.[15] On January 11, 2022, on the road against fierce rival Alabama Smith scored a then career-high 25 points to help the Tigers avoid an upset in an 81-77 victory.[16] On February 16, 2022, Smith recorded a career-high 31 points on just 16 shots in an 94–80 victory over Vanderbilt.[17] As a freshman, he averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and two assists per game while helping lead the Tigers to an SEC regular season championship and the programs first ever #1 ranking in the AP poll.[18] In his NCAA Tournament debut against Jacksonville State, Smith recorded his 6th double-double of the season scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.[19] In the second round of the tournament Smith would record another double-double but would also have his worst shooting performance of the season going 3-of-16 from the field as the #2 seeded Tigers were upset by #10 seeded Miami 79-62, ending the Tigers season.[20] At the conclusion of his freshman season, Smith was awarded many honors including being named the USBWA Freshman of the Year, a member of the All-SEC first team and a second-team All American, the Tigers first All American selection since Chris Porter in 1999.[21][22] On April 5, 2022, Smith declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[23] Smith was projected as a top-three selection in the 2022 NBA draft and the potential first pick.[23]

Professional career

Houston Rockets (2022–present)

2022–23 season: Rookie season

Prior to the 2022 NBA draft, Smith was believed by many analysts and insiders to be the number one overall pick, with Smith even saying that he would be surprised not to be picked number one by the Orlando Magic.[24][25][26] However the Magic ended up selecting Paolo Banchero and Smith ending up being selected with third overall pick by the Houston Rockets, making him the highest drafted player to ever come out of Auburn, surpassing Chris Morris and Chuck Person whom were drafted 4th overall.[27][28]

He made his summer league debut with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and a steal in a 91–77 loss against the Orlando Magic.[29] On October 2, 2022, Smith made his preseason debut, scoring 21 points with 5-of-8 shooting from three along with eight rebounds and two assists in a 134–96 win against the San Antonio Spurs.[30][31][32] On October 19, Smith made his regular season debut, scoring 17 points along with seven rebounds and an assist in a 117–107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.[33] On October 24, Smith recorded his first 20+ point game with free 21 points by shooting 6-to-10 from the field with nine rebounds in a 114–106 victory over the Utah Jazz, the Rockets first victory of the season.[34] On December 2, Smith scored 17 points with six rebounds, one steal, and one blocked shot in a 122–121 victory against the Phoenix Suns. He finished by shooting 7-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. The outing was the sixth straight game in which Smith made at least three 3-pointers, the second-longest streak in history by a rookie.[35] On December 23, He recorded his sixth double-double with 24 points by shooting 58.8% from the field and 3-of-8 from three with 10 rebounds in a loss against the Dallas Mavericks.[36]

On January 13, 2023, Smith scored a then career-high 27 points with three blocks and eight rebounds in a game loss against the Sacramento Kings.[37] On March 9, Smith grabbed 12 rebounds and set a then career-high 30 points in a 134–125 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers.[38] On March 14, Smith scored 24 points by shooting 83.8 precent from the field with 5 threes made and 11 rebounds in a game win against the Boston Celtics. In doing so, he became the first player in Rockets franchise to average 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in three straight games since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1985.[39] On March 17, Smith made a game-winning three-pointer in a 114–112 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.[40] At the conclusion of his rookie season he was voted to the All-Rookie second team.[41]

2023–24 season

On December 11, 2023, Smith scored a career high 34 points along with 13 rebounds in a 134–127 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.[42]

Player profile

Standing at 6 feet and 11 inches (2.11 meters) with a 7-1 feet wingspan and weighing 220 pounds (100 kilograms), Smith predominately plays the power forward position. Smith's length makes him a versatile player on both offense and defense. He often utilizes jab-steps to help create space for his jump shot and has range out to the three-point line, shooting 42% from three-point range in college. On defense, he is mobile on the perimeter and physical inside, making him a candidate to defend big men but also switch comfortably onto guards. Smith was noted for his defensive instincts and quick hands, averaging a block and a steal per game in college. Many sources and scouts have compared his play making style to other big men such as Rashard Lewis, Chris Bosh, Michael Porter Jr. and Kevin Durant.[1][43][44]

Scouts noted that Smith's main weakness on offense entering the draft is his ball handling, as he often times struggles to generate offense off of the dribble.[45]

National team career

Smith played for the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Belém, Brazil. He averaged 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and helped the United States win the gold medal.[46]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022–23 Houston 797931.0.408.307.7867.21.3.5.912.8
Career 797931.0.408.307.7867.21.3.5.912.8

College

All statistics per Sports Reference.[47]

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Auburn 343428.8.429.420.7997.42.01.11.016.9

Personal life

Smith's father, Jabari, played in the NBA for four seasons and competed professionally overseas. He has one older brother, named A.J.[3] Smith's distant cousin, Kwame Brown, was the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft and played in the NBA for 13 seasons.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Fader, Mirin (February 4, 2022). "The Drive Behind Jabari Smith Jr". The Ringer.
  2. 1 2 Woo, Jeremy (February 23, 2022). "With His Mesmerizing Jumper, Jabari Smith Is the Fulcrum of Auburn's Ascent". Sports Illustrated.
  3. 1 2 Bennett, Brian (September 25, 2020). "Recruiting notebook: Jabari Smith Jr. first setting his sights on a state title". The Athletic. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Krohn, Adam (January 23, 2019). "Sandy Creek's Smith making name for himself". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  5. ↑ Vitale, Josh (October 9, 2020). "5-star 2021 PF Jabari Smith becomes highest-rated commitment in Auburn basketball history". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  6. ↑ Holcomb, Todd (April 2, 2021). "Boys basketball player of year: Jabari Smith". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ Stultz, Brian (June 4, 2021). "Jabari Smith Jr. named Georgia's Gatorade Player of the Year". Auburn Wire. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Sandy Creek's Smith named Mr. Georgia Basketball". The Citizen. March 29, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  9. ↑ Green, Tom (February 23, 2021). "Auburn signee Jabari Smith makes McDonald's All-America team". The Birmingham News. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  10. ↑ "2021 Top Basketball Recruits". 247Sports. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  11. ↑ "ESPN Basketball Recruiting - Player Rankings". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Jabari Smith, 2021 Power Forward - Rivals.com". n.rivals.com. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Biancardi, Paul; Borzello, Jeff (October 9, 2020). "Top-five senior Jabari Smith commits to Auburn Tigers". ESPN. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  14. 1 2 Wilborn, Nubyjas (October 22, 2021). "Jabari Smith sets high expectations for Auburn hoops". al. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  15. ↑ Ferguson, Justin (November 9, 2021). "Green, Johnson lead No. 22 Auburn past Morehead State 77-54". AP NEWS. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Auburn Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Live Score and Stats - January 11, 2022 Gametracker". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Smith's 3-point barrage leads No. 2 Auburn over Vandy, 94-80". ESPN. Associated Press. February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  18. ↑ Young, Ryan (January 24, 2022). "Auburn jumps Gonzaga, claims No. 1 ranking for first time in program history". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Smith leads Auburn to 10th straight NCAA opening win, 80-61". AP NEWS. March 18, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  20. ↑ Dawe, Lance (March 20, 2022). "Takeaways from Auburn basketball's 79-61 loss vs Miami". Sports Illustrated Auburn Tigers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  21. ↑ Green, Tom (March 7, 2022). "Jabari Smith is Auburn basketball's first All-American in 23 years". al. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  22. ↑ Dawe, Lance (March 8, 2022). "Bruce Pearl, Jabari Smith, and Walker Kessler receive SEC Men's Basketball Postseason Awards". Sports Illustrated Auburn Tigers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  23. 1 2 Cobb, David (April 5, 2022). "Jabari Smith declares for 2022 NBA Draft: Auburn star departing for pros after standout freshman season". CBSSports.com. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  24. ↑ Purdum, David (June 22, 2022). "Auburn Tigers' Jabari Smith favored to be No. 1 pick in heavily bet NBA draft". ESPN.com.
  25. ↑ Taylor, Cody (June 23, 2022). "Report: Jabari Smith Jr. expected to be drafted first by Magic".
  26. ↑ Hayne, Cris (June 23, 2022). "Jabari Smith 2022 NBA draft: 'I'll be surprised if I'm not taken No. 1' by the Orlando Magic". Yahoo Sports.
  27. ↑ "Rockets take Jabari Smith with 3rd overall pick". www.nba.com. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  28. ↑ Durando, Bennett (June 23, 2022). "Pros and cons of Houston Rockets taking Jabari Smith of Auburn basketball in 2022 NBA draft". Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Houston vs. Orlando - Box Score - July 7, 2022 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  30. ↑ Shapiro, Michael (October 2, 2022). "Houston's Jabari Smith flashes smooth shooting stroke in preseason debut". Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  31. ↑ Davis, Coty (October 2, 2022). "Jabari Smith Jr. Shines in Rockets Preseason Win Over Spurs". Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  32. ↑ Doric, Sam (October 3, 2022). "Jabari Smith Jr. 'Exactly As Advertised' in Rockets' Preseason Win Over Spurs". Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Rockets vs. Hawks - NBA Box Score - October 19, 2022". ESPN. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  34. ↑ DuBose, Ben (October 24, 2022). "Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr. breaks out vs. Jazz, leads Rockets to first win of season". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  35. ↑ Taylor, Cody (December 2, 2022). "Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. finding groove from 3-point range". The Rookie Wire. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  36. ↑ DuBose, Ben (December 23, 2022). "Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr.'s career night not quite enough as Luka Doncic drops 50 for Mavs".
  37. ↑ "Game Recap: Kings 139, Rockets 114". sports.yahoo.com. January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  38. ↑ M. Davis, Coty (March 10, 2023). "Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. Records First 30-Point Game In Loss To Pacers: 'My Confidence Coming Back'". Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  39. ↑ Pagaduan, Jedd (March 14, 2023). "Jabari Smith Jr. tallies impressive Rockets rookie feat not seen since Hakeem Olajuwon". Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  40. ↑ "'Jabari for the win!': Rockets fans going nuts after Jabari Smith Jr. stuns Pelicans at the buzzer". ClutchPoints. March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  41. ↑ "2022-23 KIA NBA All-Rookie Second Team: Jabari Smith Jr". www.nba.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  42. ↑ Shapiro, Michael (December 21, 2023). "Jabari Smith Jr. torches hometown team in career-best night". Chron. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  43. ↑ Irving, Kyle (June 23, 2022). "Jabari Smith Jr. NBA player comparisons".
  44. ↑ Wasserman, Jonathan (June 13, 2022). "Pro Comparisons for Top Projected 2022 NBA Draft Picks". Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  45. ↑ Goldstone, Aaron (June 8, 2022). "Jabari smith jr mock draft".
  46. ↑ Jordan, Jason (March 24, 2020). "Elite Forward Jabari Smith Jr. is Has All the Tools". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Jabari Smith College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
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