Throughout his time as a member of the Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. has been one of the more consistent pieces in the lineup. He’s started in all but 18 of his 265 games in the NBA, averaging more than 30 minutes per outing. Despite all of the natural highs and lows, it’s clear that he’s a prominent part of the core.
He’s seen plenty of highs this season, with career bests in minutes per game (35.0) and points per game (15.2) according to Basketball-Reference. His shot attempts and three point attempts are also up, which are all unsurprising with the losses of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Fred VanVleet.
After being replaced by Kevin Durant and Reed Sheppard, there was still a little bit more needed, and this is where Jabari has stepped up. With the increased volume and minutes, his shooting percentages are all still on par, or even better than his career averages.
That is, except for free throws. Currently shooting 77.6-percent isn’t bad, but it’s below his career average and not helping the 5th worst free throw shooting team in the league.
Thankfully we’re seeing encouraging improvements this month with his free throws going in at an 87.5-percent rate on 3.4 attempts per game. He’s turned it up in February, nearing 50-40-90 territory on 16.4 points per game. The cherry on top is his 65.7-percent true shooting numbers, per StatMuse.
After a rough month in January, it appears he’s bounced all the way back. I credit this turnaround to staying confident and improved shot selection. He’s averaging more points and shooting more efficiently on less attempts per game.