Kevin Durant Explains Key to Jabari Smith Jr.'s Recent Stellar Play for Rockets

Jabari Smith Jr. has drawn the ire of many Houston Rockets fans this season. Buy and large, he's been relatively inconsistent. Even in a career year, like he's currently having in the 2025-26 NBA season.

Smith is averaging 15.8 points (a career best), 1.9 assists (another career best), 46.2 percent from the field (yet another career best), 38.4 percent from three on 6.1 attempts per contest (both of which are career bests), 58.5 percent true shooting and 55.7 effective field goal percentage.

The latter two are also career bests.

Again, he's having a career year, which was expected when the Rockets traded for Kevin Durant, who Smith looks upto and has long regarded as one of his NBA idols.

But again, the inconsistency has been glaring. It's been impossible to ignore.

For example, Smith went 5-of-18 in Houston's recent overtime loss against the New Orleans Pelicans with just 12 points total. Two weeks before, he went 3-for-9 against the Utah Jazz, with 12 points alike.

Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. has Been on a Tear of Late

By the same token, his recent dominance has also been glaring. It, too, has been impossible to ignore.

He's had six consecutive games with at least 15 points, as listed below.

21 points against the Indiana Pacers (on 8-of-16 shooting and 3-of-7 from long range)
15 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers (on 6-of-9 shooting and 3-of-5 from long range)
16 points against the Los Angeles Lakers (on 6-of-9 shooting and 2-of-3 from long range)
16 points against the LA Clippers (on 6-of-13 shooting and 4-of-10 from long range)
18 points against the Sacramento Kings (on 6-of-16 shooting and 4-of-11 from long range)
22 points against the Denver Nuggets (on 8-of-14 shooting 5-of-11 from long range)

Rockets forward Kevin Durant noted Smith's recent play after Houston's 126-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

"Yeah, we're gonna need that going forward. Me and 'Bari talk alot about taking shots that we wanna take, not letting the defense dictate what we do out there. And just playing. Using our length, using our size to get shots off. And Bari has just been tough to stop down there in the post, knocking down the three. Doing everything for us so we're gonna need that from him."

Durant previously noted Houston's need to get Smith the ball more and increase his touches and scoring potential. He's been invaluable for the Rockets of late.