Jabari Smith Jr. has Solid Outing Versus OKC Thunder

One of the top picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, Jabari Smith Jr., has struggled thus far to start the season.

Already one of the youngest players in the class before becoming a surprise one-and-done at Auburn, Smith Jr. is an elite-level shooter and defender who has yet to find the former part of his game in the big league. But on Thursday night, he may have found some added incentive to play well.

At 6-foot-11, with elite 3-and-D potential, he was long thought of as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft. But a draft night mixup dashed his hopes of hearing his name called first. Or even second.

The Magic stunned the world and took Paolo Banchero No. 1. But even after that, Smith Jr. still had reason to believe he’d hear his name soon.

“So they called Chet Holmgren’s name and he lost it,” Jabari Smith Sr. was quoted saying in a recent story by Marc Spears. “Leg went to shaking. I looked at him. He is almost in tears. And I forgot that he told me that OKC [promised to draft him],”

Whether a draft promise was truly made on OKC’s end or not, the damage was done.

“Smith Jr. says he has moved on from being passed over by the Orlando Magic and Thunder. ‘It’s over now. There’s nothing to really think about now, but it’s something you have in the back of your mind just later down the road. But it’s gone. It’s over,’ Smith Jr. said.”

On Thursday night, with it in the back of his mind, Smith Jr. scored 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds and found two assists, steals and blocks apiece to finish one of his better games on the year. Most importantly, he shot an efficient 50 percent from the floor and three, and missed only one of his six free throw attempts.

It’s a mini-trend with Smith Jr., who has finished with moderately solid outings in all four Thunder matchups on the season. In game one, he finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Now, Smith Jr. looks on to NBA All-Star weekend, where he’ll play alongside a pair of Thunder teammates in Josh Giddy and Jalen Williams in the Rising Stars game for Team Joakim.

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