Tag: Jabari Smith Jr.

Auburn improves to No. 2 in AP Poll after another undefeated week

Auburn earned its highest ranking in the AP Poll since 2022 following another undefeated week.

The Auburn Tigers have claimed their highest ranking in the AP Poll in nearly two calendar years.

Bruce Pearl’s squad climbed up to No. 2 in the rankings following another undefeated week including victories over No. 5 Iowa State and No. 22 North Carolina. Auburn has not been ranked this high in the poll since February of 2022, when [autotag]Jabari Smith Jr.[/autotag], [autotag]Walker Kessler[/autotag], and the SEC Champion Tigers fell to the No. 2 spot after holding the nation’s No. 1 ranking for three consecutive weeks.

Auburn could not usurp the No. 1 ranked Kansas Jayhawks despite receiving 26 first-place votes, nine behind Kansas’ 35. The Tigers and Jayhawks were the only programs to receive the top nod from AP voters, and Auburn’s total points of 1,490 also finished just nine behind Kansas’s 1,499. While Bruce Pearl’s Tigers enter the week behind Bill Self’s squad, Auburn does have a key opportunity to pick up another fantastic ‘Quad 1’ victory in the ACC/SEC Challenge this Wednesday against No. 9 ranked Duke.

A win in Cameron Indoor Stadium could catapult [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] and company ahead of Kanas. However, the Jayhawks have an identical, although less impressive, opportunity for a Quad 1 win on the road against Creighton on Wednesday. Both teams have easier, albeit still contentious, games to end their weeks. Auburn hosts Atlantic 10 program Richmond on Sunday while Kansas continues its road trip against Missouri.

Auburn is the top-ranked SEC program in this week’s AP Poll, checking in just ahead of Tennessee (No. 3) and Kentucky (No. 4). Alabama (No. 10), Florida (No. 13), Oklahoma (No. 21), Texas A&M (No. 22), and Ole Miss (No. 23), make up the other seven programs from the conference ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation. Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi State, and Georgia also received votes in the poll.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Former NBA guard Dennis Scott shares message to Jabari Smith Jr.

Smith could earn himself a payday with a slight jump in both scoring and rebounding in year three

Former Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. is set to enter his third season in the NBA following a very successful one-year stint on the Plains with Auburn. The former third overall pick in the NBA draft has been solid to start his NBA career, but has yet to take the step into stardom that members of his draft class such as Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams have.

With the 21-year-old entering his first year of contract extension eligibility after this season, former NBA guard turned NBA TV analyst Dennis Scott offered some words of encouragement to the former Tiger ahead of the Rockets preseason game this week. Speaking candidly, Scott told the former Tiger, “I know you’ve put in the work. I know you love this game… Now it’s time for you to take your game to the next level, earn that big bag that’s sitting there waiting for you, and then be that cornerstone for the future for the Rockets.”

Scott finished his NBA career averaging 12.9 points per game and a near 40% shooting percentage from 3-point range. A seven-year veteran who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in the 1990-1991 season, Scott’s words likely carry a fair amount of weight on the mind of Smith Jr.

Now entering his third season in the Association, Smith Jr. will look to take another step forward after averaging 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds a season ago. While a leap to All-Star status is unlikely, Smith could earn himself a payday with a slight jump in both scoring and rebounding in year three. He and the Rockets will open the regular season on October 23 against the Charlotte Hornets.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

PHOTOS: Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. join USA Basketball training camp

As part of the Select Team, Rockets prospects Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. joined this week’s USA Basketball training camp for the Olympics.

Third-year Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and second-year guard Amen Thompson are on the 2024 Select Team for USA Basketball. As part of their duties, Smith (No. 39) and Thompson (No. 29) practiced in Las Vegas versus the U.S. national team as part of preparations for the Paris Olympics, which begin in late July.

Beyond Thompson and Smith, other members of the 2024 USA Select Team include Payton Pritchard, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Duren, Jalen Suggs, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski, Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, Keegan Murray, Micah Potter, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Langston Galloway, and collegiate prospect Cooper Flagg.

“As a former [Select Team] member, I know how important and fun this opportunity is,” said Grant Hill, formerly an NBA star and currently managing director of USA Basketball. “There is a tremendous amount of talent on this Select squad with the significant job of helping the 2024 national team as they begin their journey to the Olympics. Each of these athletes will play a role in our preparation as we also develop the national team pipeline for the future.”

With that in mind, here’s a pictorial look at some of Thompson and Smith’s 2024 Select Team activities. All practices and scrimmages took place at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas.

Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson named to USA Basketball select team

Third-year Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and second-year guard Amen Thompson will be part of the 2024 Select Team for USA Basketball.

Third-year Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and second-year guard Amen Thompson will be part of the 2024 Select Team for USA Basketball, program officials announced Friday. As part of the Select group, Smith and Thompson will practice against the U.S. national team ahead of the Paris Olympics, which begin in late July.

“There’s a long history of players from the Select Team eventually joining the national team down the line… including current players Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, who served in the role in 2021 before the Tokyo Olympics,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst writes.

With training camp held from July 6-8, the news could indicate that neither will play for Houston’s 2024 NBA summer-league team. Both Smith and Thompson were on the 2023 summer Rockets.

“As a former member of the USA Select Team, I know how important and fun this opportunity is for each of these players,” former NBA player Grant Hill — who is currently managing director of the USA Basketball program — said in a statement.

“There is a tremendous amount of talent on this Select squad with the significant job of helping the 2024 national team as they begin their journey to the Olympics,” Hill added. “Each of these athletes will play a role in our preparation as we also develop the national team pipeline for the future.”

Beyond Thompson and Smith, other members of the 2024 USA Select Team include Payton Pritchard, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Duren, Jalen Suggs, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski, Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, Keegan Murray, Micah Potter, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Langston Galloway, and collegiate prospect Cooper Flagg.

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Former Auburn star Jabari Smith Jr. is trying his hand at recruiting

Auburn basketball has called on the former first round pick to help recruit AJ Dybantsa and other top targets.

Auburn basketball wants to make the top 2025 recruit [autotag]AJ Dybantsa[/autotag] the top signee in program history. In an effort to make that dream a reality, the current leader is trying his hand and swaying Dybantsa in the Tigers’ direction.

Former first-round pick [autotag]Jabari Smith Jr.[/autotag] spoke with reporters recently, where he was asked about his recruiting tactics when talking with Auburn’s top targets. He says that his message to Dybantsa is the same as his message to other recruits… [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] “plays to win.”

“All schools are going to tell you the same thing: They’re going to give you the ball, they’re going to do all that. But if you come here (to Auburn), it’s going to be more than that. … You’re going to play to win,” Smith said. “You’re going to play the right way; you’re going to play defense. And (Pearl) is going to show the best side of you, always.”

Not only does Pearl put players in the best position to succeed, but he gives the players the tools to succeed at the next level. Smith is sure to mention that in his pitch as well.

“(Pearl is) going to coach you, and I feel that’s the biggest thing — so you won’t be shocked when you get to the league,” Smith said. “When you get to the league, it’s just like starting over. When you get to college, it’s like starting over. You want it to be like that. You don’t want to get to campus and somebody be kissing your butt all day. BP never did that to me, and I feel like that’s a big reason why I’m so humble. I see how he carries himself and how he treated me as a 5-star and as the highest recruit to come to Auburn. He never treated me like that.”

Smith signed with Auburn as the nation’s No. 7 recruit from the 2021 class, and went on to become the No. 3 overall draft pick in the 2022 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. Dybantsa is the top overall recruit for 2025 class, and is poised to follow Smith’s steps by becoming a first round pick.

Auburn and Bruce Pearl is currently battling Eric Musselman and the USC Trojans for the chance to earn Dybantsa’s commitment. It is unknown when Dybantsa plans to announce his commitment, but his recruitment is definitely worth following.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson to work as NBA Finals correspondents

Young Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson will work as player correspondents for Game 1 and Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals in Boston.

According to a league announcement, young Houston Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson will work as player correspondents for Game 1 and Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday night, while Game 2 is Sunday evening.

Both of Smith and Thompson’s correspondent games are in Boston, where the Eastern Conference champion Celtics will host the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks.

Smith will work alone in Game 1, while Amen will work in tandem in Game 2 with Ausar Thompson, his twin brother (Detroit Pistons). The goal of the program is to bring fans on-the-ground coverage directly to NBA social media outlets, as well as the NBA mobile app.

Michael Levine, senior vice president of entertainment and player marketing, shared further program details with NBA.com.

Levine’s insight:

The reality is that we want to work with our players in unique ways in which they can be perceived positively. We are giving them access to this type of platform, not only from a content standpoint, but from being on the NBA’s biggest stage. This is where they aspire to be one day.

This program really gives players an opportunity to do four things. One, is to build their social profile. We want to keep the momentum from their season going, and get them back in the spotlight.

Two, we also want them to understand the business of the NBA, and specifically the NBA Entertainment side. So, they’re seeing how we cover the Finals from a broadcasting perspective, photos perspective, original content, etc.  I think when they go back to their markets, they then have a greater awareness of how things work. They leave with a better sense of how the NBA operates.

Three, is relationship building. So getting to know the people, the league office, our broadcast partners, our global partners, will help all of us build this game. This knowledge then leads to a more trusting and cooperative relationship.

Lastly, seeing the NBA Finals, this is where they hope to be. So all those things went into play as we were developing it. And the program has just gotten bigger and bigger over the years.

More information on the program is available here. Past participants in the media correspondent program — which also encompasses various events at All-Star weekend and the NBA draft — include CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, Scottie Barnes, and Tyrese Maxey.

Smith and Thompson were each named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team after their rookie seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively. Both should play key roles for Houston in 2024-25, and while they’d like to play in the NBA Finals with the Rockets in the future — this weekend’s opportunity will suffice, for now.

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To keep or to trade? After landing No. 3 draft pick, Rafael Stone excited by Houston’s options

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Rafael Stone says.

Known for his strategic thinking, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone found himself in an unfamiliar position on Sunday after the NBA’s 2024 draft lottery. The annual event determines where teams pick in the first round, which takes place this year on June 26.

For the past three years, Stones selected players out of necessity in Houston’s rebuilding phase, which was brought on after James Harden’s departure. So, when the Rockets surprisingly secured the No. 3 pick in 2024, Stone was left with a strategic choice: keep the pick or trade it in a package for a veteran player or future assets. The decision could significantly shape the team’s future.

With Houston’s existing young core of rotation players, it might seem unlikely it would add another young player who would compete for minutes. However, that is not necessarily the case.

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Stone said in a post-lottery press conference. He had just arrived at the draft combine in Chicago after scouting prospects in France in recent days.

That seemed an unlikely scenario after the emergence of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, who played key roles as rookies in helping the Rockets go 41-41 last season. Add in the developmental leaps made by shooting guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun in their third seasons — and promise shown by second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. — and Houston has the blueprint to be a special team.  

“The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back,” Stone said at his end-of-season press conference last month. “We’ll look at things, but, again, I don’t view our roster as, ‘We’re missing X; we need to go find it.’ It’s not like we have a gaping hole.”

Many college and NBA analysts believe this draft class is weaker than in most years. The consensus is that many top-10 players in this class are outstanding role players, rather than superstars. If Houston keeps the pick, it could help them in the future by allowing their selection to develop with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate. 

“I think last year’s draft was a different draft than we’ve seen in a while, just because there was so much attention focused on just one guy (Victor Wembanyama),” Stone said. “That wasn’t the case in the two drafts before it, and I don’t think it’ll be the case this year.”

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No regrets: Fred VanVleet empowered by leadership role with resurgent Rockets

“I just felt empowered and honored that I was the guy who was thought of to help lead this ship in the right direction,” Fred VanVleet says of his first Rockets season.

After spending his first seven years in the NBA with the Raptors, guard Fred VanVleet decided it was time for a change. He knew he was an asset to the team, having worked his way from a role player to an NBA All-Star during his tenure in Toronto.

The Raptors’ organization wanted him to be an intricate part of helping lead them back to success, as he had done as a reserve player when the Raptors won the NBA Finals in 2019.

Yet, the former undrafted player out of Wichita State declined his $22.8-million player option for the 2023-24 season and tested the free agent market in the 2023 offseason. He was not on the market for long. The Rockets made him the highest-paid undrafted player in the NBA history with a three-year, $130-million contract.

When paired with newly hired head coach Ime Udoka, whom VanVleet respected after competing versus the Boston Celtics when Udoka led them to the 2022 NBA Finals, VanVleet knew Houston was serious about turning things around after three tumultuous years resulting in an average win total of under 20 per season.

“From Day 1,” VanVleet said when asked when he knew he had made the right decision to join the Rockets.

“Talking to coach (Udoka), brainstorming and putting our minds together on what we wanted this thing to be and what we wanted it to look like, I just felt empowered and honored that I was the guy who was thought of to help lead this ship in the right direction.”

His floor leadership proved valuable to young players Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr.. He helped lead the Rockets to a non-losing season (41-41) for the first time in four years. Even though Houston missed its goal of advancing to the postseason, VanVleet is happy about the progress made on and off the court.

“We fell short of our goal; I want to make that clear,” VanVleet said during his exit interview after Sunday’s win over the Clippers in Los Angeles. As a veteran, VanVleet was held out of Houston’s final two games after pouring in a combined 79 points on elite efficiency during the two previous games (at Utah and home versus Orlando).

“We had the playoffs in our sight, and we fell short of that, but we made tremendous progress,” he said. “Especially if you are going to go back to where things were the past few years. To be able to come and turn this thing around or get it going in the right direction, it has been a great accomplishment so far, but not where we want to be.”

VanVleet had a career season, dishing 8.1 assists per game to rank No. 7 in the NBA in that category. In 24 of his 73 starts, VanVleet finished with 10 or more assists, including a season-high total of 17.

Another key attribute was VanVleet’s inability to turn over the ball, which the Rockets struggled with before his arrival. His 1.73 turnovers per game was the lowest he has had as a starter.

“He has been a very vital piece to us putting this thing together for the future,” Udoka said of VanVleet. “We just have to keep moving in the right direction, if we want to take that next step.”

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As Rockets adjust tactics, Jabari Smith Jr. thrives offensively at center

Since moving to center after Alperen Sengun’s injury, Jabari Smith Jr. is scoring 16.4 points per game while shooting over 40% on 3-pointers.

When the Rockets watched Alperen Sengun get injured late in their game at Sacramento on March 10, they knew that some adjustments to the starting lineup would be coming. After all, Houston’s third-year center was having a phenomenal season.

Head coach Ime Udoka did have one advantage, though. He had a player already in his starting lineup who could fill those shoes, and he welcomed the challenge of playing a position that he had played only sparingly over the first two seasons of his NBA career.

Jabari Smith Jr., 20, moved to Sengun’s position, while rookie Amen Thompson played power forward for the first time in his career. The result was an eight-game winning streak and a coming-out party for Smith, who was a fourth option in the offense to start the season behind Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, and Sengun.

In the 14 games since the lineup change, Smith has shown clear improvement on offense while averaging 16.4 points (48.8% FG, 40.5% on 3-pointers) and 6.7 rebounds per game. His play became a crucial part of keeping Houston’s postseason hopes alive into early April.

“I love it,” Smith said when asked about being a scoring threat when Green gets double-teamed by opponents. “That is helping me. When they double him [Green], when they double Fred [VanVleet] in the pick-and-roll, it opens up my game and it opens up a lot of opportunities for me, Dillon [Brooks], people off the ball. It is good.”

When opposing defenses are not sending multiple defenders to Green or VanVleet, they often resort to zone defense to keep Houston’s athletic guards and wings from getting to the rim. This tactic gave the Rockets some problems earlier this season, which Houston adjusted to by making Sengun a facilitating hub from the mid-post.

But once Sengun left, Houston turned to a different offensive scheme to beat the zone. They put Smith at the free-throw-line extended area, where he can burn defenses with mid-range jump shots.

“It is a luxury,” Udoka said after Tuesday’s win over Orlando. “His mid-range is obviously pretty good, and he has a size advantage.”

After recording 23 points (52.9% FG, 60.0% on 3-pointers, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists versus the Magic, Smith was similarly optimistic.

“Coach really trusts me there,” Smith said of his placement. “Just getting in there, making the right play, and being aggressive. I have shooters around me, Fred around me, Dillon around me, Jalen around me. So, I have shooters around me, and that kind of opens up everything for me. It is fun when they go zone, because it shows that they can’t guard us in man [defense]. We take that as a compliment.”

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As Rockets’ streak hits 10, Jabari Smith Jr. makes up for lost time with clutch plays in OKC

“We just showed the team that,” Ime Udoka says of Jabari Smith Jr.’s clutch 3-pointer in Wednesday’s win. “Basically, it was our favorite play of the game.”

One thing that stands out about second-year Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. is that he is the ultimate team player. As long as he’s on the court and in the battle, Smith has made it clear that he is willing to do whatever it takes for Houston to be successful.

That is why his one-game suspension for getting into a minor skirmish with Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn last Saturday impacted him, especially while his team is in a close race with the Golden State Warriors to make the Western Conference play-in tournament.

On Wednesday in Oklahoma City, Smith was eager to make up for lost time — and perhaps too eager. Smith committed two fouls in under two minutesand had to sit down, and that lack of rhythm played a role in a dismal 1-for-5 (20%) first-half shooting performance.

It was not the ideal start, but the No. 3 overall selection in the 2022 NBA draft (after one college season at Auburn) knew that he had to stay the course and be there when his team needed him.

With Houston trailing by one point with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jalen Green moved toward the lane, drawing three defenders and leaving Smith open beyond the 3-point line in the left corner.

As Green got deeper in the lane, he made the pass to Smith. Without hesitation, Smith shot a 24-foot trey over the outstretched arms of Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey that hit nothing but net, putting the Rockets up by two points with 21.7 seconds left to play.

After the Thunder rallied to force overtime, Smith then hit another clutch 3-pointer to help Houston keep its current winning streak alive at 10 games, courtesy of the 132-126 win in Oklahoma City.

“I was seeing him [Green] going aggressive to the rim, as he had done all night,” said Smith, who finished with 16 points. “They collapsed, as they should, and they left me open in the corner, and I knocked it down. I could tell when he (Green) was driving, my man was kind of gravitating towards him because he had been cooking all night, but he made the right read and found me in the corner.”

As happy as Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was about Smith hitting the big shot late in regulation, he was more excited that Green was able to recognize the defenders rotating towards him. From there, he was able to make the right read of the Thunder defense, which had been sending multiple defenders his way all night.

“It was huge,” Udoka said when asked about Green’s decision-making. “We just showed the team that. Basically, it was our favorite play of the game. We just showed four guys in the paint, and he made the right pass. Dillon [Brooks] made two big ones [in overtime] after going 1-for- 9, and Jabari, who was struggling with the fouls early, didn’t hesitate, and Jalen didn’t hesitate to pass to him. Great pass, great growth. I’m proud of them for that play.”

Houston will look for its 11th consecutive win on Friday as it heads to Utah to play the Jazz for the second time in a week. This time, Smith will do everything he can to avoid having to leave early.

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