Jabari Smith Jr. Gives Brutally Honest Thoughts on Roles and Struggles in Game 6

What happened to the Houston Rockets on offense in Game 6? That was the big question right after the season ended surprisingly prematurely in the first round to an injured Los Angeles Lakers.

A lot of the answers haven’t been very clear. Many have attributed it to simply a poor shooting night. But the Rockets have struggled in that area many times during the season.

Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. took time in his post-game press conference after Game 6 and dove deep into what the issues were. Not only that, he was quite honest about the problem overall in the series and the kind of growth he and the young core of Rockets need to take in the future.

That kind of straight-up honest answers are rare to find, especially for a 22-year-old. It seemed to be appreciated on social media.

Jabari Smith Jr. Gives Great Insight

Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) reacts after scoring a basket during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

“We couldn’t generate any good offense. They were switching everything and had a good game plan switching everything, loading up, took care of the glass. We couldn’t get an offensive rebound. Made it real tough on us, kudos to JJ (Reddick),” Smith Jr. said.

The rebounding difference was a surprising difference, as the Rockets were the best at that in the regular season. They lost that by seven in this game. The 6-foot-11 forward mentioned how that had to do with taking bad shots. The Rockets only scored 78.

Smith Jr. explained how they couldn’t run any of the offensive schemes that they were doing in the previous games.

“Ayton was switching, Hayes and switching and then they might go small. It was tough on us in the sense that we couldn’t generate penetration or paint touches,” Smith said.

The defense was not the issue as the Rockets for the most part.

"We guarded them well the whole game, they only scored 98 points,” Smith Jr. said.

He explained it wasn’t anything complex as to why they lost this series. In every game, it came down to shooting percentage with both teams playing strong defense.

“We waited too long to get into the series, honestly,” Smith Jr. said. It was clear their intensity didn’t pick up until it truly became a must-win game.

The fight we had was a little different,” Smith said about Games 3-6 compared to the first two games of the series.

While the Rockets certainly played poorly on offense in Game 6, they never should’ve been in the hole they were.

“The first game, we kind of eased into it, expecting it to happen and working to get leads. We had two really bad first quarters. I think it was the starts that really affected us. You can’t start a playoff series like that. You gotta start from the jump. That was the big thing,” Smith said.

He was spot on in that analysis. It’s very difficult to win playoff series once down 3-1 and 3-0 like the Rockets have been the last two years. If they get out to a stronger start, that would help the young team’s confidence. By the time they figured out something, it was too late.

That makes you wonder whether the Rockets are prepared at the start of these playoff series. Is the coaching staff doing a good enough job getting them ready? Many Rockets fans have doubts about the current coaching group, but blame goes all around.

The Rockets had the talent to win this, but didn’t start strong and didn’t perform on offense. While Kevin Durant was unavailable for five out of the six games, the Rockets are looking to run it back with a healthy squad. However, this will be the young core’s team going forward in the years after Durant. They’ll need to generate better offense.

"I think playing without him just showed me how much we need to work on as far as just being able to do more on the offensive end,” Smith Jr. said.

This season gave plenty for Smith Jr. and the group to think about and learn what encompasses more responsibility for scoring.

“Everybody says they want more. More of an offensive role. More shots. More touches. But they don't know what comes with it,” Smith said. "To be able to play against all types of defenses and adjust on the fly is something that is a skill. Something that I've got to get better at."

He put the responsibility on himself to improve at that and as a leader going forward. Smith Jr. did not seem to lack confidence whatsoever. The former third overall pick in 2022 took a massive jump in his fourth season and will look to improve on that in crucial year five.

Smith Jr. averaged 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and one steal per game in the playoffs while shooting 39 percent overall and 37 percent from three. He shot 45 percent overall during the season and 78 percent from the free throw line.

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