Jabari Smith Jr. 19 yo, 6'10", 220 lbs. 3rd overall pick in 2022 NBA Draft 1st season in the NBA Contract https://www.spotrac.com/nba/houston...d cap value of $8,882,640.&text=Likely Incent. Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithja05.html Summary Not many NBA players have spent their entire first season in the NBA as a teenager and as should be expected, Jabari struggled to adjust to the grown man's game. We saw flashes of his defensive prowess early and since the all-star break or so we've seen what it looks like after he remembered how to shoot. We would've rather seen him show flashes of defense and shooting throughout the season but we'll definitely settle knowing his future is bright. The Good The upside is there and it's everywhere. It's up to him to max it out but the kid has so much potential. He has a vastly improved handle that came in-season. His defense translated immediately and is only going to get tighter with experience and a better team mentality towards defense. The sweet shot finally showed up and he started throwing clutch daggers in with it. We lucked out at #3. The Bad Mans couldn't hit the ocean from inside a boat for 6 months. Put up more bricks than Acme. Missed more shots than Alcoholics Anonymous. Just Derp's Opinion I think his ultimate form is more than tall Klay Thompson or Rashard Lewis with defense. When he adds 2-3 years of pro training he's going to have a frame that's similar to Giannis but with a wet shot. He's already flashing unstoppable traits with his height and release. Add strength. Add trained footwork and handle. Add him remembering how to shoot (42% from 3 in April, 35% in March) He's going to dominate... both sides of the floor. He's already turning away defenders and swatting dunk attempts. Add strength. Add experience and instinct. Add a team defense mentality that disallows offenses to just pick the next matchup. He and Jalen are going to be part of our championship lore. Am I projecting them to be like Hakeem and Clyde? A 2 way dynamo and a highlight reel 2 guard who won a chip? Yes I am. Other [Player Assessment] threads by Derp: https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/player-assessment-jalen-green.319232/ https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/player-assessment-usman-garuba.319161/ https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/player-assessment-kevin-porter-jr.319106/ https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/player-assessment-alperen-sengun.319017/ https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/player-assessment-kenyon-martin-jr.318936/
He gave us maybe a 10 game stretch where he performed decently on offense that gave us hope for the future but then he's fallen back down to earth since then. He'll need to put in a ton of work in the offseason figuring out what is broken about his 3 point shot, but I have a decent amount of confidence in him becoming a solid 3 and D player going forward. Still nowhere near what you'd hope to pick in the top 3, but better than nothing.
I’m starting to think you’re a KPJ only fan or just trolling. Your pessimistic attitude toward Green, Sengun, and Jabari is really at odds with the organization and probably the rest of the NBA or maybe it’s just impatience.
No, I'm just a Rockets fan....which means I don't often go along with the crazier narratives of player first or player only fans. I'm actually a fan of Sengun's game, always have been, but thinking he's worth the #2 pick in the draft is flat out delusional. I know that player first and player only fans don't like to hear about the shortcomings of their favorite guys, but it is what it is. When I talk about how poorly Green and Smith have been overall this season, it's not because I "hate" them, it's because objectively they have played poorly overall this season. When I say that Sengun is not worth the #2 pick in the draft in trade, it's not because I "hate" him, it's because thinking he's worth the #2 pick in the draft is flat out ridiculous. There really are no star players on the Rockets right now, you can pick apart the game of any of them if you are honest.
You can always say based on this season or last. Basically, you are discounting the potential of the guys we already have on the roster for the potential in this draft. Sengun, Jabari, and Green all have more potential than the 3rd pick in this draft (in my opinion).
Well, you can certainly have that opinion, but I'm just saying you aren't selling any GM on trading away a top 3 pick for Sengun. I don't think you could get a top 3 pick for Smith or Green at this point either. Teams HIGHLY value those kinds of picks and they often will pick the unknown quantity over the guy they've already seen who isn't a star. Also, I'm not saying Sengun is no good, I'm talking specifically about fit with the rest of the roster.
Solid writeup. Jabari is a special special prospect. Next year with an off-season of training, filling out and a coach that can successfully beat a 3 year old at Connect 4 and he'll look even better. He absolutely needs an upgrade at PG as well. Or rather he needs the team to actually have one on the roster.
I think all the teams would trade 3 or less for Green and a whole bunch for Sengun. Just a difference of opinion, no big deal since neither of us know how the other teams value our players or this year’s draft class from 3-down.
Yeah. Way better. No worries on this kid He's gonna make you eat that ish. Him and others.... Enjoy B.
Really? You think he's going to make my statement that he's "better than nothing" untrue? Damn you're pessimistic about him.
This is beyond dismissive. A 3&D player? This is not some limited offensive player or a try-hard defender. Even as a struggling teenager he's far outclassed the Danuel House's and Trevor Ariza's of the world. At 3 you want a guy with as much potential as Jabari Smith has. It's up to him to fulfill it but your take is some seriously sour apples. And like...why??
Yeah....he really is a limited offensive player. Right now, he's not terribly good at anything at all on that side of the ball....you just hope he can sometimes hit open shots, and he hasn't shown to be able to do that consistently either. You don't want him attempting to dribble the ball, you don't want him attempting to pass the ball, you don't want to post him up. He might develop his midrange turnaround at some point, but that's not a reliable thing yet. Now, he's super young, it's very possible he develops more to his offensive game, but if he ended up a taller Trevor Ariza, the team would be VERY happy.
Smith came across as a spoiled child wanting more than his share most of the season. Telling coaches to pull other players out of the game and him wanting to play center while his playing time is forced hurts the team collectively. Smith should use his time, size, and talents to hone his skill set to become a small forward making him a mismatch across the league. Backside blocked shots, uncontested threes and rebounding. He would have a ball of fame career.
