Rockets' Jabari Smith: Double-double in Monday's loss
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Smith produced 14 points (6-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal in 30 minutes during Monday's 137-115 loss to the Knicks.
Seven different Rockets scored in double digits on the night, but Smith was the only one to record a double-double. The rookie forward has 13 of them on the season, including five in the last 11 games -- a stretch in which Smith is averaging 17.3 points, 8.2 boards, 1.9 assists, 1.8 threes, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks. The third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft could be offering a preview of a Year Two breakout with his closing run.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Scores 20 in blowout loss
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Smith finished with 20 points (9-16 FG, 2-4 3Pt), eight rebounds and one block over 29 minutes during Friday's 151-114 loss to the Grizzlies.
Smith saw 29 minutes against the Grizzlies despite the Rockets being down 31 points at the half and was quite effective. The rookie shot 56 percent from the field and notched the second-most points for Houston. After struggling earlier in the year, he's reached double-digit scoring in 11 of the past 12 games, averaging 16.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 combined steals-plus-blocks.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Posts double-double in loss
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Smith produced 17 points (7-15 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 39 minutes during Monday's 121-108 loss to the Warriors.
Smith scored in double figures for the ninth time over his past 10 appearances and logged his fourth double-double during that stretch. In March (11 games), the rookie first-round pick is averaging 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals-plus-blocks in 33.5 minutes.
Smith produced 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 29 minutes during Friday's 114-112 win over New Orleans.
Smith was relatively passive on the offensive end Friday but landed the killer blow, a dagger three-pointer from distance. After a disappointing start to his career, Smith has come alive over the past two weeks, putting up top-60 value thanks to averages of 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 triples and 1.6 combined steals and blocks. Perhaps more importantly, he has connected on 54.7 percent of his shots from the field, well up from his 40.4 percent mark on the season.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Impressive play continues
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Smith registered 24 points (9-11 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes during Monday's 111-109 victory over Boston.
Smith logged his third straight double-double in what has no doubt been his best string of games so far this season. Granted, he won't shoot this well every night, but the rookie forward has been much more consistent with his scoring efforts lately. So far in March, Smith is averaging 16.6 points on 55.8 percent shooting from the field.
Smith contributed 20 points (8-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 119-111 loss to the Bulls.
Smith has posted back-to-back games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, but he's also recorded at least one tally in each defensive category during both of those contests. Over his last five games -- arguably his best stretch of the season -- the rookie is averaging 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals-plus-blocks in 33.8 minutes per game.
Smith amassed 30 points (10-19 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 7-9 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals over 47 minutes during Thursday's 134-125 overtime loss to Indiana.
Smith was firing on all cylinders Thursday, turning in easily the best performance of his young career. In what has been a disappointing rookie campaign, Smith was finally able to deliver on the hype, putting up solid contributions on both ends of the floor. The Rockets are going to continue handing him as many minutes as possible, providing him an excellent opportunity to build on this moving forward. Managers shouldn't expect numbers like this very often, but at this point, any progression is a bonus.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Comes close to double-double
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Smith provided 15 points (6-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt) and eight rebounds across 32 minutes during Tuesday's 118-96 loss to the Nets.
Smith ended just two boards away from recording what would've been his first double-double since Feb. 13. For all the inconsistencies he's had in his rookie year, Smith seems to be trending in the right direction of late with 10 or more points in seven of his last 10 contests. The efficiency remains an issue, however, as he's making just 38.9 percent of his shots and 26.7 percent of his three-point attempts during that span.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Plays team-high 38 minutes
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Smith closed with nine points (3-11 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-6 FT), eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal over 38 minutes during Sunday's 131-114 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Smith continues to struggle with his shot and has shot just 28.6 percent from the field over his past four games. However, he's been able to savage his production by posting 9.5 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals during that stretch. The rookie first-round pick is a major piece of Houston's future and should remain a quality fantasy asset due to his production on the boards and elite defensive skills.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Shooting woes continue
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Smith produced 13 points (4-16 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), nine rebounds and one assist in 34 minutes during Friday's 116-101 loss to Golden State.
Smith flirted with a double-double in the loss, although any positives were negated by the fact he shot 25 percent from the field. Despite playing consistent minutes thus far this season, Smith has not been able to string together a run of positive performances. While his shooting struggles have been well documented, his defensive production has also been well below where managers had hoped it would be coming into the season, as evidenced by his two steals over nine February contests. Well outside the top 150 for the season, Smith is not a player who needs to be rostered outside of slightly deeper formats.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Comes close to double-double
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Smith registered 15 points (4-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT), nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals in 29 minutes during Wednesday's 133-96 loss to the Thunder.
Efficiency remains a concern for Smith, but the No. 3 overall pick in this past summer's draft heads into the All-Star break with three solid performances in a row from a counting stats-producing standpoint. In those contests, Smith averaged 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.0 three-pointers, 1.7 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.7 steals. If he can come close to maintaining those marks the rest of the way, Smith will reward fantasy managers who have stayed patient with him during his rookie season, though he may remain more of a liability for those who are looking to make up ground in the field-goal percentage category. He's still sitting on a 38.9 percent mark for the season on 10.8 attempts per game.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Good to go against Toronto
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Smith (hip) is available for Friday's game versus the Raptors, Jackson Gatlin of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
Smith has been upgraded from questionable to available Friday with a hip injury. The rookie forward is averaging 8.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 assists in 26.4 minutes across his last five games.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: On injury report after all
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Smith is listed on the injury report as questionable for Friday's game versus the Raptors due to a right hip pointer.
An earlier report suggested Smith would be available, but the league report does indeed show the big man on the list after all. Smith is still hoping to play in Friday's game, but his status likely won't be confirmed until game day.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Not on injury report
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Smith (ribs) isn't on the injury report for Friday's game against Toronto, Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic reports.
Smith sustained a rib injury during Wednesday's game against Oklahoma City but will be able to suit up two days later. However, the Rockets play games Friday and Saturday, so it's possible his workload will be monitored during the back-to-back set. Over his last four appearances, the 19-year-old has averaged 9.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in 27.3 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Hopes to play Friday
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Coach Stephen Silas remains hopeful Smith (ribs) will suit up Friday against the Raptors, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Smith exited Wednesday's game versus the Thunder due to a rib issue and finished the night with nine points and seven boards over 27 minutes. Fortunately, the issue doesn't sound too serious, and the rookie could avoid missing time altogether. With back-to-back games on the schedule Friday and Saturday, it will be worth monitoring his status on the upcoming injury reports and subsequent updates.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Heads to locker room
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Smith exited Wednesday's game against the Thunder due to a rib injury, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
Smith appeared to take a hard shot to the ribs and immediately headed to the locker room. He will finish the contest with nine points and seven rebounds across 27 minutes of action. Tari Eason and Jae'Sean Tate could be in line for a few more minutes if he doesn't return. If that is the case, Smith's next chance to play would come Friday against Toronto.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Racks up 12 boards
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Smith chipped in seven points (2-12 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals in 34 minutes during Saturday's 117-114 victory over Detroit.
Smith turned in a dreadful shooting line and hit only 16.7 percent of his attempts from the field. He was able to make up for it by snagging 12 boards, which marks his best night on the glass since Jan. 4. Smith also continues to make an impact at the rim by swatting away at least one shot in each of his last four games.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Will play, have minutes monitored
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Smith (ankle) will play Wednesday against the Wizards and will have his minutes monitored, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reports.
The rookie returns following a two-game absence due to a sprained right ankle. He'll presumably rejoin the starting five, pushing Tari Eason back to the bench, though fantasy managers shouldn't expect Smith to see too big of a workload. This month, the forward is averaging 11.8 points on 40/21/73 shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 28.7 minutes.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Hopes to play Wednesday
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Smith (ankle) said Tuesday that he hope's to play in Wednesday's contest against the Wizards, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
The rookie sat out Monday's game, marking a second straight absence, due to a right ankle sprain. However, it appears he was able to practice Tuesday and will attempt to suit up Wednesday. Further clarity on his availability will surface when Houston releases its next injury report.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Out Monday
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Smith (ankle) is out for Monday's contest against the Timberwolves, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The rookie forward will officially miss his second consecutive contest due to an ankle injury. Tari Eason figures to draw another start due to Smith's absence. The Auburn product's next chance to take the floor comes Wednesday against the Wizards.
