Jabari Smith Jr. has started every game of the Houston Rockets season so far, but that streak will end on Friday.
The former No. 1 overall pick broke his left hand during a pregame shootout against the Boston Celtics on Friday and will be out for four to six weeks, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said, via Daniel Lerner of the Houston Chronicle.
It has been reported that Smith’s non-shooting hand injury will require surgery, but the Rockets must first confirm the severity of the injury through a second opinion.
Smith, now in his third season in the NBA, hasn’t developed into the star some imagined when he was drafted No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he has played the fourth-most total minutes on a Rockets team that entered Friday with the No. 3 pick. They advanced to the Western Conference with a 22-11 record.
Houston’s defense, which ranks second in the NBA in defensive rating, has been his calling card, and Smith contributes with his 6-foot-11 versatility. Without him, the Rockets will have to play smaller on the wing, putting in more minutes for players like Tari Eason and Amen Thompson.
Smith, who played in 79 games his rookie season and 76 games as a sophomore, is now guaranteed to record a career low in appearances this season.
