Rockets Star Jalen Green Has Advice For Rookie Jabari Smith Jr.
Houston Rockets' second-year star Jalen Green is no stranger to rookie Jabari Smith Jr.'s situation.
Both were high draft picks, with extremely lofty expectations. Both also entered NBA Summer League, not sure exactly what to expect.
Fortunately for Smith Jr., Green is there to help him with the transition and dropped some much-needed advice for the big man going forward throughout the remainder of Summer League play.
"Just be yourself," Green. "Don’t try to force nothing. Don’t try to play out of character. Everyone wants you here to play your best basketball. Don’t think about what’s going to happen, or what people are going to say. Just stay locked in, and be yourself."
After a shaky start to Game 1, Smith was able to do just that in Game 2, scoring nine points, to go along with four blocks and three steals.
And while it might not have been the most statistically eye-popping performance, Smith was able to show exactly why the Rockets were so enamored with his skill set, as helped guide the Rockets to their first Summer League win.
Still, there is plenty of Summer League, as well as an entire regular season left Smith to make even more improvements and adjustments.
"It’s the beginning," Green said. "We’ve got a long season. I know these lights are bright, right now, but they get even brighter. So just be in the moment, and be yourself."
The Rockets' next matchup will come on Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs.
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