Bill Simmons sees Jabari Smith Jr. leap Rockets fans will love

Although the Houston Rockets have dropped their first two games to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons in disappointing fashion, there have been a number of silver linings to be gleaned from their sub-par performances.

One of these has been the apparently enhanced confidence of young forward Jabari Smith Jr., and NBA analyst Bill Simmons, on the most recent episode of his podcast, agrees wholeheartedly.

Through two games, Smith has averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and one assist, and, while he has only shot 34.5% from the field, he has looked exceedingly confident utilizing his jumper from almost anywhere on the floor: a trend that could signify a massive offensive leap for the emerging young player.

Jabari Smith Jr. looks much more confident this season in his offensive game

As the Rockets attempt to coalesce their young core around superstar scorer Kevin Durant, all of their emerging young players, including Smith, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, will need to elevate their game to match his gravity on the offensive end of the floor.

According to Simmons, Smith seems poised to do exactly that: "I really liked how Jabari looked [in their opener]. He's somebody I've always liked. I've kept all my stock. I thought he had some good moments for them on both ends."

Last season, as he recovered from a wrist injury that kept him out for a significant stretch of the season, Smith took on a bench role for the first time in his career, and, somewhat surprisingly, he was able to acclimate quickly to the new demands this presented him with.

Through 57 games last season, Smith averaged 12.2 points, seven rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 43.8% from the field.

Yet, with Durant on the roster and Smith being thrust back into a full-time starting role, Houston's need for him has changed yet again. He must not only rebound and defend, but he must become a bona-fide scoring threat from the mid-range and the perimeter in order for this iteration of the Rockets to come to form.

Through their first two games, Smith has averaged 7.5 3-point attempts: a number that has dramatically increased from the 4.9 he averaged a year ago.

Although he has only made 33.3% of these shots, this is a genuine sign that he is feeling more comfortable in what the Rockets are asking him to do, and, when these shots eventually begin to fall, Smith will be a serious offensive threat for this team.

This is, undoubtedly, the next step in Smith's game, and Simmons has high hopes that he will be able to take it this season.