Former No. 3 overall draft pick Jabari Smith Jr. is expected to miss time due to a hand injury.
Smith suffered a fractured hand during the Houston Rockets’ shootaround on Friday. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka told reporters that Smith is expected to miss 4-8 weeks due to the injury.
Smith was the No. 3 overall pick by the Rockets out of Auburn in 2022. He made the All-Rookie team in his first season and remains productive for Houston.
The starting forward has averaged 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Rockets. His strengths are his rebounding ability and ability to play on both ends of the floor.
This is a tough break for the Rockets, who are having a breakout season. After going 22-60 in Smith’s rookie season, the Rockets improved to 41-41 last season. They entered play on Friday 22-11, giving them their best winning percentage since 2017-2018.
Smith’s improvement as an all-around player was noted by Udoka last year.
“The goal for everybody is to be well-rounded so we don’t have to rely on one person, it’s a true team aspect… Jabari has taken a huge step,” Udoka said of Smith last year.
Of course, Udoka has had less complimentary messages for Smith in the past, but there is little doubt the team will miss him while he’s out.
