Smith is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Suns, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Smith will return to the bench due to the presence of Fred VanVleet (ankle) in the starting lineup. Smith has played off the bench in five of his previous 10 contests, averaging 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Leads charge in Monday's win
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Smith had 20 points (5-13 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 5-7 FT), seven rebounds and one block in 32 minutes during Monday's 97-84 win over the Magic.
With Amen Thompson (ankle) sidelined, Smith got the start, and the third-year forward led a balanced Rockets attack in scoring as four different starters supplied between 14 and 20 points. It was his best offensive showing since he dropped 21 points on the Hornets just before Christmas, and Monday's five made three-pointers tied his career high. Smith has scored in double digits in five straight games (three starts), averaging 14.6 points, 6.8 boards and 2.4 threes over that stretch.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Drops 16 off bench Thursday
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Smith racked up 16 points (6-13 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 2-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block in 28 minutes off the bench during Thursday's 109-97 win over the Pelicans.
After starting the last two contests, Smith shifted back to the second unit Thursday but came through with his best scoring performance in eight games since returning from a fractured left hand after the All-Star break. The third-year forward is averaging 10.5 points, 7.3 boards and 1.5 threes in 30.6 minutes since rejoining the lineup, and he'll likely continue floating between the starting five and the bench as the Rockets try to find the best spot for him in the rotation.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Shifting to bench
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Smith will come off the bench Thursday against the Pelicans, Ben DuBose of USA Today reports.
The Rockets will elect to roll with Tari Eason at power forward Thursday, bumping Smith to the bench. The Auburn product should still play a key role in the rotation, hitting the 30-minute mark in two of his last three matchups as a reserve.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Starting Monday vs. OKC
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Smith is in the Rockets' starting lineup against the Thunder on Monday, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports.
Four of the Rockets' five starters against the Kings on Saturday are not playing Monday, so Smith will re-enter the starting lineup alongside Jalen Green, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore and Jock Landale. Smith has averaged 9.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists over 30.4 minutes per game in his five games since returning from a hand fracture.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Sliding to bench Saturday
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Head coach Ime Udoka said Friday that Smith will operate off the bench in Saturday's game against the Kings, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
With Fred VanVleet (ankle) expected to reclaim his role in the starting five on Saturday, Smith will slide to the bench. The 21-year-old forward should still see significant playing time in the second unit, though the Rockets will stick with Amen Thompson in the starting lineup for the time being. Over his last four outings (two starts) following a 22-game absence due to a fractured hand, Smith has averaged 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per contest.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Back in starting lineup
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Smith will start Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Smith had started in just one of his three appearances since returning from a month-long absence and will be back in the starting lineup Wednesday in place of Tari Eason (lower leg). During that three-game stretch, he's averaged 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 33.3 minutes.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Notches 13 points
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Smith logged 13 points (4-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT) and eight rebounds across 33 minutes during Tuesday's 100-97 win over Milwaukee.
Playing in just his third game since returning from an extended injury absence, Smith shifted to the bench for this game with Tari Eason getting the starting nod. Houston's lineup may not be set in stone going forward, as the team is waiting to get Fred VanVleet (ankle) back from his injury. Plus, they will likely be looking to find a way to keep Amen Thompson heavily involved in what has been a breakout season for the forward. With that in mind, Smith's upside may not be as high as it was prior to his injury.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Struggles against Utah
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Smith produced three points (1-8 FG, 1-5 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across 29 minutes during Saturday's 124-115 loss to the Jazz.
In just his second game back from a 22-game absence due to fractured hand, Smith was inserted into the Rockets' starting lineup due to the absence of Tari Eason (lower leg injury management). Smith struggled to get anything going during Saturday's loss, missing on all but one of his eight field-goal attempts while finishing with a minus-10 point differential, which was tied with Jalen Green for worst on the team. Smith and the Rockets will look to bounce back against the Bucks on Tuesday.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Gets huge minutes off bench
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Smith (hand) tallied 15 points (5-9 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one block across 38 minutes in Friday's 121-115 win over the Timberwolves.
Smith had started in each of his previous 188 NBA games, but the Rockets brought the 21-year-old power forward off the bench for the first time in his career after he had missed the previous 22 contests while recovering from a fractured left hand. Despite coming off the bench, Smith was operating with no restrictions, as he ranked third on the team in minutes and turned in an efficient scoring performance. Considering he had averaged 30.9 minutes per game for the season prior to getting hurt, Smith's 38-minute workload from Friday shouldn't be regarded as the new norm. However, Smith is likely to eventually take back his starting spot from Tari Eason, which could happen as soon as the Rockets' game in Utah on Saturday. Eason will be a candidate to sit out the second leg of the back-to-back set for lower leg injury management.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Won't undergo surgery
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Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said Saturday that Smith will not have surgery on his fractured left hand, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Smith fractured his left hand on Jan. 3, which raised doubts about his return to the basketball court for the Rockets this season. Although electing not to have surgery on his hand could extend his recovery timeline, he is not expected to miss much more time than the original estimate of 4-to-8 weeks.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Suffers broken hand
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The Rockets announced Friday that Smith broke his left hand in shootaround and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Michael Shapiro of SI.com reports.
Smith had yet to miss a game this season but will now be sidelined for an extended period as his broken left hand is expected to require surgery. Before his injury, the 21-year-old forward was averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 30.9 minutes across 33 appearances. In Smith's absence, Tari Eason (lower leg), Amen Thompson (suspended), Cam Whitmore, Jae'Sean Tate and Jeff Green are all candidates to receive increased playing time.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Efficient in limited minutes
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Smith totaled 12 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, two steals and one block in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 110-99 win over the Mavericks.
Smith was solid in limited playing time following a lackluster seven-point performance in Sunday's loss to the Heat. The third-year pro briefly exited to the locker room after he was hit in the face during the second quarter, though he was able to return for the start of the second half. The injury shouldn't affect his status for Friday's game against Boston. Over his last 10 outings, Smith has averaged 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks across 33.6 minutes per contest.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Extends productive stretch
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Smith had 21 points (7-14 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists over 35 minutes during Monday's 114-101 win over the Hornets.
Smith is going through his most productive stretch of the season and had another strong showing Monday, as he reached the 20-point mark just for the fourth time this season. The third-year forward is riding a streak of six games in a row with at least 13 points, hitting the 15-point mark four times and posting two double-doubles in that stretch. Smith is averaging 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game since the beginning of December.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Efficient from field
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Smith produced 19 points (8-9 FG, 3-4 3Pt), seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 38 minutes during Tuesday's 117-111 overtime win over Minnesota.
This was one of Smith's most complete performances of the season as the Rockets picked up their third win out of their last four games. Smith is starting to turn the corner after a slow start to the season, averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 2.5 three-pointers over his last four outings.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Efficient scoring in win
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Smith recorded 23 points (8-13 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes during Wednesday's 130-113 victory over the Pacers.
Smith was Houston's second-leading scorer behind Alperen Sengun in Wednesday's win. However, Smith has had a slow start to the season, converting just 31.5 percent of his 4.6 three-point attempts per contest.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Best game of season Friday
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Smith finished Friday's 125-104 win over the Clippers with 28 points (11-17 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist and two steals over 35 minutes.
Smith posted a season-high scoring mark Friday, but it's hard to imagine him posting these numbers steadily. This was just the second time he reached the 20-point mark this season, and he's a low-level scoring option in an offensive scheme that also features Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet and Jalen Green. Smith is averaging just 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game since the beginning of November.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Modest output in loss
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Smith logged four points (2-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), one rebound and one block in 17 minutes during Friday's 126-107 loss to the Thunder.
Smith's results have been confounding through the first three weeks of the season after widespread predictions of a breakout campaign. He's exceeded 20 points only once this season, and his totals have been peppered with four games in the single digits. He occasionally grabs enough rebounds to offset a poor scoring performance, but the drop-off is concerning. Increased volume beyond the arc seems to be key to his higher totals, and he's made only two shots from deep over the past two games.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Solid outing in win
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Smith chipped in 14 points (5-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds and one steal in 29 minutes during Thursday's 108-102 win over the Mavericks.
After starting off the season struggling with his efficiency, Smith has shot over 50 percent from the field in back-to-back games. While Smith's scoring numbers haven't been particularly impressive, he is one of the best rebounding forwards in the NBA, averaging 8.4 boards per contest.
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Rockets' Jabari Smith: Leads Houston with 24 points
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Smith closed Thursday's 133-110 loss to the Warriors with 24 points (8-17 FG, 4-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and two assists across 32 minutes.
Jalen Green had a rough night offensively Thursday, but Smith stepped his game up and notched a team-high 24 points -- his fifth straight game with 15-plus points and the second time he surpassed the 20-point plateau in that stretch. The second-year forward has scored at least 15 points in nine of his last 11 appearances, and he's settling in quite well as a reliable go-to scoring option for the Rockets in the post, especially with Alperen Sengun (ankle) still sidelined.
