A Small Leap From Jabari Smith Jr. Could Be Huge for Rockets

Much has been said about the Houston Rockets' offseason additions and the return of some impact rotation players from last season. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson have dominated the discussion regarding Houston's ability to contend next season.

Players like Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams have also factored into whether the Rockets are legitimate contenders or not. However, Jabari Smith Jr. can't be forgotten in the excitement for next season. He has improved every season of his career, and could be in the prime position to take another leap next season.

Smith Jr. provides a unique role for the Rockets. The addition of Durant makes it somewhat less unique for the team, but every NBA team covets a big man who can space the floor. Finding a near 7-footer that doesn't have to live in the paint is a valuable piece to a contending team.

There were flashes of what Smith Jr. can bring to a contending team during last year's postseason.

While he didn't get as much playing time as some of his peers, he was impactful in the minutes he received. He spread the floor, hit big shots, and brought effort on defense and rebounding to help keep the Rockets in games.

He has already proven to be a major contributor to the team on both offense and defense on his best days. A leap for Smith Jr. isn't necessarily into superstardom, just limiting some of the bad days and ineffective nights from the floor.

A consistent Smith Jr. changes things significantly for the Rockets. If he can improve his shooting and volume to consistently knock down 3-pointers, he could see his scoring averages jump next season.

Smith Jr. had his lowest point-per-game average last season, averaging about 12 points per game and hitting a little under two 3-pointers per game on nearly five attempts. However, it was also the first time in his career he played under 76 games. He was in the starting lineup for less than half the season, much different than his position to start his career.

The Rockets don't need Smith Jr. to become a top scorer for the squad. He realistically could raise his scoring output to around 15 points per game, and that would be a significant boost for the squad.

Hitting a few more three pointers and getting more opportunities in the mid-post could do wonders for Smith Jr.'s contributions to the offense. Combined with his defensive and rebounding contributions, Smith Jr. could become a key piece of the Rockets' contention chances.