Does Ime Udoka Still Value Jabari Smith Jr. as a Starter on the Houston Rockets?

It may be premature to question the decision-making of head coach Ime Udoka following a season where the Rockets finished as the No. 2 seed in a loaded Western Conference, but recent reports may give fans a reason to raise an eyebrow regarding the starting lineup situation on this loaded Houston team.

Former first-round pick Jabari Smith Jr. is preparing for his fourth season in the NBA and is coming off a year where the 22-year-old only saw 39 starts in his 57 games played, compared to his first two seasons of starting over 75 games for the Rockets.

Along with the impact on his minutes as a starter, Smith Jr. had to sit back this summer and watch as Houston made a move for elite scoring forward Kevin Durant, plus the addition of veteran wings Dorrian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie.

Of course, this puts the already loaded room of wings at almost max capacity, some would say, but this has not put a damper on Jabari Smith Jr.'s outlook as a starter, as the Rockets forward told Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle.

"Jabari Smith Jr. said Ime Udoka hasn’t talked to him about whether he’ll start, but added that he feels he deserves to start and plans to show that," said Lerner via X. "Udoka previously said it would be a training camp decision."

Feb 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) and head coach Ime Udoka walk off the court after the game against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Now obviously, just because Jabari Smith Jr. sees himself as a starter does not mean coach Ime Udoka feels the same way.

It does seem a bit odd that Coach Udoka has not reached out to JSJ regarding the team's outlook on its starting roster this upcoming season, especially when you factor in the impact and potential that Smith brings to the floor.

22-year-old Jabari Smith Jr. talks about his growth heading into year 4.

🚀🚀 "Everything is going 🆙" 🚀🚀pic.twitter.com/PVt6kJ6ETu
— LIFT Sports (@LIFTSPORTSMNGMT) September 29, 2025

Through three seasons, the young forward is averaging 13 points, 7.5 rebounds and a 34% behind the arc, which is fairly decent, but the Houston Rockets front office and coaching staff may want to see a leap offensively from Smith Jr., taking him from a rising talent to a bona fide two-way player.

Whether or not Ime Udoka will comment on the starting roster still remains to be heard, but with the season on the horizon as September comes to an end, fans will certainly be clamoring for answers to these tough questions.