Rockets Must Find Ways To Get Jabari Smith Jr. More Offensively Involved
HOUSTON — Jabari Smith Jr. made little to no impact amid the Houston Rockets' 122-106 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night.
His only contributions took place on the defensive side of the floor, where he accounted for three of the Rockets' 11 steals. Smith has raved in the past that defense is his greatest on-court attribute, but the Rockets have not done a fair job utilizing his skill set on the offensive side of the ball.
In the loss against the Clippers, the Rockets could have used Smith's scoring amid the team's inadequate offensive performance. He finished the night with seven points but only took six shot attempts.
Coach Stephen Silas said the Clippers' defensive scheme made it difficult for Smith to find a rhythm within the offense. But Silas admitted that the team must do a better job of getting Smith involved on the offensive end.
"The way to get him more opportunities is to push the ball, get it into the paint, more drive and kicks and space the floor," Silas said. "I also like him as a trailer. When we are pushing the ball up the floor, we can pitch it back to him. That is a rhythm shot that he could get. Those are the ways we can get him going."
Smith has been in a slump over the last seven games. While scoring in double-figures once, he has averaged 6.9 points while shooting 28.1 percent from the floor.
Smith's play has been the opposite of the performance that left fans believing the Rockets were on the verge of a Big 3 during their win against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 26.
He scored a career-best 21 points in the win and was attempting an average of 12.0 shots the first eight games. But since the Rockets' loss to the Clippers on Nov. 2, Smith shot attempts have declined to 8.1.
Silas acknowledged that better ball movement plays a prominent role in helping Smith get more involved on offense. And after the Rockets' embarrassing defeat to the Clippers, Eric Gordon voiced his frustration due to the lack of ball movement.
"We did not play with togetherness," Gordon said. "If you have a winning mentality, moving the ball should be something you should do. Believing in your teammates, that's the way it goes when you are trying to win. And we did not do that."
The Rockets have yet to find a way to consistently benefit from the talents that made Smith an SEC Freshman of the Year winner during his lone season at Auburn.
Smith finished his freshman campaign averaging 16.9 points on 42.0 percent shooting from behind the arc, 7.4 rebounds and a block across 34 collegiate games.
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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