Jabari Smith Jr. Has Been a Driving Force in the Rockets Six-Game Winning Streak

Houston's young forward has stepped up alongside Kevin Durant to create an efficient offense in the frontcourt.

Apr 5, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) talks with teammates after a play against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 season has been one of major adjustments for Jabari Smith Jr. Last year, there wasn't much pressure on the Houston Rockets to be offensively efficient because the defense was one of the best in the NBA, and the core was so young.

But this season, the acquisition of Kevin Durant has come with different expectations. Smith, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson and the rest of the youngsters were expected to adapt to an offense featuring the two-time MVP.

There have been so many ups and downs, and the shortcomings have been amputated. The Rockets have been over-reliant on Durant to produce off the dribble, especially in the clutch. Because of this (and the lack of a true point guard), Houston has dealt with turnover issues and inefficiency.

But just when the season looked lost after a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 25, the Rockets figured out how to turn it around. It took a historic 13-point blown lead in overtime for the rotation to turn the corner, because now, Houston is riding a six-game winning streak.

Smith has been a driving force in the recent victories, averaging 18.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 46-44-79 shooting splits. He has been a sniper from downtown, nailing nearly half of his 7.5 three-point attempts per game.

A big reason why the Rockets rank first in offensive rating over the last six games is that the supplementary players have been more aggressive and efficient in the scoring department. Durant hasn't attempted more than 18 field goals and seven threes in any of the games in this stretch.

It's not just that Smith has gotten hot from beyond the arc, but that is a big reason why the offense has been elevated. He's also been able to create off the dribble, often posting up in the short corner for turnaround jumpers over smaller defenders.

The Rockets have just four games left in the regular season, but they're one game out of the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They've built so much momentum that, if the offense continues to be this efficient, they can snatch home-court advantage from the Denver Nuggets or banged-up Los Angeles Lakers.

In the playoffs, Houston will need to continue to take pressure off Durant's shoulders, and Smith can do that as a wing scorer. The Rockets have the potential to go far amid recent play, but it's more on Smith and the rest of the rotation than their star.