Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. learns from tough first half
Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. says he's staying positive while admitting the first half of his rookie season has been difficult
HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- After finishing 4-of-12 from the field while missing all five of his three-point attempts on Sunday against the Timberwolves, Rockets rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr was the first arrival at Toyota Center ahead of Monday's film session. He needed to get some shots up, but he did so with a purpose.
"When you're missing shots, you tend to just think you just need to get in the gym and shoot," Smith said Monday. "But for me it's just getting in there and focusing on my mechanics, watching film, seeing how my wall's looking, and then looking at games where I did make a lot of threes and seeing the difference in it, like, just my feet, and then just going in there and just having my pace so high, and having it so game like toward a point that translates to the game."
A 42 percent three-point shooter in college, Smith has shot the deeper NBA three at just a 32 percent clip at the halfway point of his rookie season, and he's shooting just 22 percent from long distance over the last 13 games, so he used Monday to get back to basics.
"Sometimes my shot tends to be a little flat. Sometimes it has a good arc and so I get good misses, back rim, or it's gonna go in, so just keeping that in mind. Balance, legs, a lot goes into it, but just focus on little things."
Smith's introduction to the NBA hasn't gone as smooth as some would have liked, but that's normal, especially for a 19-year old surrounded by guys around the same age in a league of grown men.
"I feel like it's been rough for me, but I feel like it's all been positive because I'm learning," Smith said. "I knew it wasn't gonna be easy coming in, definitely expected some losses, but it's been kind of tough on me, but it's been nothing I didn't I didn't expect."
The third overall pick from June's draft is averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game while flashing the traits that made him a top talent coming out of Auburn, but he's learning on the fly, and he explained what he's learned about playing in the NBA so far.
"Just how mental the game is, how many ups and downs it is with so many games and how many games you're playing. You got to have a short term memory, put games behind you and move on to the next, and just keeping that joy through the losses, through the frustrations, and just always keeping that joy for basketball."
Despite the struggles, Smith is second among all rookies in rebounds, third in blocks, and fourth in points.
