Jabari Smith Jr. has proved what Rockets fans knew all along

As the Houston Rockets entered the season, there was a certain amount of buzz and speculation surrounding how head coach Ime Udoka would approach the team's starting lineup.

Yet, while the injury to Fred VanVleet certainly did turn things on their heads, many Rockets fans knew all along that Smith was poised for a major leap this year and that he would be ready to make a serious impact as the team chases a title.

So far, Smith has proved these fans right with his excellent play, and, as he continues to flash his confidence on both sides of the ball, it is quite possible that any consideration of relegating him to a bench role will look laughable in hindsight.

Jabari Smith Jr. has shaken off any doubts as to his suitability for a starting role

After starting every game he played in through his first two seasons in Houston, a hand injury mid-way through the 2024-25 season left him sidelined for an extended period of time, and, when he returned, he found himself relegated to a bench role with the emergence of Amen Thompson as a bona-fide starter.

Yet, even in a reduced role, Smith shined. In the 18 games he played off the bench, he averaged 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists, taking full advantage of some of the wilder offensive swings that the bench unit was prone to.

Heading into this season, therefore, Udoka stated that the fifth starting spot (alongside VanVleet, Thompson, Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun) would be decided during training camp, leaving the door open for someone like Tari Eason, Steven Adams, or even Dorian Finney-Smith to eventually grab the spot in place of Jabari.

Nevertheless, the injury to VanVleet has made that question irrelevant, and Smith has looked excellent so far in his first four games back in the starting lineup. Although he has struggled at times to hit his shots consistently, he is shooting from both the perimeter and the mid-range with complete confidence, and his defensive contributions continue to abound.

So far this season, he has averaged 15.8 points, five rebounds and 1.8 assists, and his stellar 25-point performance agains the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday was easily his best outing of the season.

While an injection of 3-point shooting might eventually become necessary when Finney-Smith returns from injury, there should be very few games this season where Jabari does not get the starting nod. His size and his rising offensive ceiling are invaluable to the Rockets, and anyone who has watched him play this year knows that he is well on his way to being a special player.