Jabari Smith Jr. Needs More Playing Time For the Rockets to Win This Series

The Houston Rockets have had an up-and-down 2025 playoffs so far. After Saturday night's disappointing 104-93 loss to the Warriors, the Rockets are down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series against the Golden State Warriors.

The Rockets led most of the first half as they took advantage of the Warriors' being without their second-best player, Jimmy Butler. Fred VanVleet started the game off strong, making three out of his first four shots, and the Rockets led by double digits in the second quarter.

The Warriors, however, closed the first half on a run that saw the Rockets turn the ball over and go cold on the offensive end. The Rockets bad shooting continued into the third quarter as VanVleet's early hot shooting disappeared, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun continued to struggle, and the Rockets as a team could not make free throws.

Sengun and Green combined for 11-29 shooting, as neither player could get anything going on the offensive end. The Rockets shot a horrendous 14-24 from the free-throw line, continuing their poor free-throw shooting from the regular season.

Poor free-throw shooting cost them games in the regular season, and it reared its ugly head in Game 3, as the Rockets missed 10 crucial free throws. The Rockets shot only 39.5 percent from the field, but they scored exactly 22 points in three out of four quarters.

The Rockets only had three players shoot 50 percent or better from the field: Steven Adams, who was 2-2, Dillon Brooks, who was in foul trouble most of the game, made four out of eight shots and Jabari Smith Jr., who was also 4-8.

Smith has been one of the Rockets' most efficient players throughout the playoffs. He had been a starter his entire career until he suffered a hand injury that put him out for 22 games. Amen Thompson took over the starting job during his absence, and even when Smith returned, Thompson stayed in the starting lineup the rest of the season.

Some players would have made a big deal out of losing their starting job due to injury, but Smith has stayed professional the entire time he has been coming off the bench and playing fewer minutes. However, with the Rockets now down 2-1 and the series slowly slipping away, it is time for Smith to see his minutes increase at the very least going forward.

Through three playoff games, Smith has been the Rockets' best 3-point shooter at 55.6 percent on three attempts per game. Smith is also the Rockets' leading shot blocker at 1.3 a game, all while only playing 25 minutes per game.

Despite being the Rockets' most efficient shooter outside of Steven Adams, Smith is seventh in field goal attempts and sixth in minutes played. Smith has to play more for the Rockets to return in this series. Smith's ability to shoot over any defender and protect the rim is something the Rockets need in this series.

Smith may not be in the starting lineup, but the Rockets must make it a priority not only to get him more minutes but also to get him more shots. Smith more than likely will not shoot 60 percent from the field if he has more shot attempts, but he will at the very least keep the Warriors' defense honest because he is a good 3-point shooter.

Thompson has struggled to score around the basket, and his limited outside shooting has sometimes caused the Rockets' offense to stall out. The Warriors are packing the paint anytime Thompson is on the court. Ime Udoka said after Game 1 they don't want to overreact after one game when asked if Smith would see more playing time. The Rockets are now going into Game 4, and the time for change is now.