Will Zhaire Smith Receive Minutes vs. Rockets on Friday?

Getting Zhaire Smith healthy and ready to play on the active roster was a key goal for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. As the 2018 NBA Draft's 16th overall pick, Smith had a highly anticipated debut for the 76ers.

Like most of their high-profile picks, though, the rookie at the time had to go through some long-term rehabilitation for a foot injury that almost ended his season. Eventually, Smith made his G-League debut with the Delaware Blue Coats, and would soon get called up to play for the Sixers during the final stretch of the 2018-2019 season.

Although he only played in six total games, Smith showed some promise off the bench as he averaged over six points-per-game, in a little under 19 minutes. Considering the timing of his return though, the Sixers couldn't get a substantial sample out of him. As playoffs approached, Smith became a game night inactive throughout the postseason.

The former first-rounder's final stretch of the year made it feel like he would get a fair opportunity to prove his worth this season, but the Sixers still viewed him as a work in progress. Therefore, Smith saw some very limited minutes during the preseason.

At this point in the year, it has become evident that the Sixers do not view Zhaire Smith as anything more than a developmental project, as he has yet to receive playing time on the main roster. However, that could change on Friday night, though.

Lately, the Sixers have been short-handed. Not only in their starting lineup, but they have also been without some of their bench players as well. The rookie wing, Matisse Thybulle, has missed nearly two weeks at this point with a knee injury and could be facing more recovery time after he gets re-evaluated at the end of the week.

And on Friday, the Sixers traveled to Houston without one of their key veteran reserves, James Ennis. Since Ennis is dealing with a stomach illness, the Sixers were left with no choice but to call up one of their own from the G-League, which happened to be the former 16th overall pick, Zhaire Smith.

Just because Smith traveled with the team on Friday, though, doesn't mean he's guaranteed minutes. It seems more likely the Sixers roll with who they know best, which happens to be the 2018 second-rounder, Shake Milton.

While Milton hasn't exactly solidified himself as a solid backup for the Sixers throughout the year, the team's head coach, Brett Brown, surely seems to favor the former SMU standout over his developing first-rounder from last season.

Perhaps, trying to implement Smith into the rotation on Friday could benefit the Sixers, but it seems less likely to happen. As the team attempts to find their groove once again, stepping outside of the comfort zone doesn't feel like a realistic scenario for the Sixers.