Rockets Rookie Jabari Smith: The Next Giannis?
Jabari Smith Jr. was the odds-on favorite to be called as the No. 1 pick when the NBA Draft takes place earlier this month until Paolo Banchero made a late surge and ended up in Orlando.
Luckily for the Rockets, that resulted in Smith falling to them at No. 3, giving them the versatile big they so desperately needed.
Smith met with the media earlier this month to answer questions on his future, including one from 96.9 The Game's Brandon Kravitz on which player he compares himself to stylistically.
Smith says he likes to look at a lot of player's games, but named three in particular.
"It'll be hard for me to choose one player because I try to take something from everybody," Smith said. "But I like to watch guys who do a lot, like Giannis [Antetokounmpo] on the defensive end, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant of course, just watching guys that can do a lot and aren't limited."
Antetokounmpo, an All-NBA defender for the past four years and the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, is probably the ideal player to study if you want to become a great defender.
Smith's 6-10 size is similar to Antetokounmpo's 6-11 frame and if everything goes right, perhaps Smith could reach The Greek Freak's levels.
His lateral quickness combined with his decision making allows him to stay in front of smaller guards attempting to blow past him. In a league that values a player's basketball IQ when guarding the pick-and-roll; Smith would pass the test with ease, more often than not making the correct read and being patient.
Now, he will get to use those gifts next to Rockets star Jalen Green, where the two should complement each other tremendously well in Stephen Silas' system.
