Tag: Rick Higgins

Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. is his toughest critic during shooting slump

“I’m a shooter, and they’re not going in right now,” #Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. says of his shooting slump. “It’s hard, because I’m my toughest critic.”

HOUSTON — Being a top-five overall selection in the annual NBA draft comes with a lot of pressure. Most times, those players are selected by a team in a rebuilding phase coming off a terrible season that landed them in the lottery.

Fans of the team hope adding a player of top-five quality and magnitude will immediately make their team ready to compete against the teams that made deep runs in the playoffs the previous season.

Unfortunately, it often doesn’t work that way. It takes time for a player to adapt to the playing style of the NBA. You cannot rush the process. If a player tries to do that, he will add stress onto himself, which will also hinder his developmental process.

That is what 19-year-old Houston Rockets rookie Jabari Smith Jr. is going through right now, as he tries to figure out his role on a team with four starters under age 23.

Houston selected him with the third pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft after witnessing his stellar one-year performance at Auburn University. His offensive skills included a lethal jump shot for a player of his height (6-foot-11), while his ability to guard any position on the defensive end stood out to many.

Yet, like his teammate Jalen Green, whom the Rockets selected with the second pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Smith has struggled to find where he belongs through the first 50 games of his professional career.

“You are not going to make every shot,” Rockets assistant coach John Lucas said of his advice to Smith. “He is shooting every shot like he’s got the weight of the world on him.”

Smith is averaging 11.9 points and 7 rebounds per game, which are fair numbers for a rookie still getting acclimated to the NBA, but they are different from where he wants or expects to be.

One thing that has constantly been on his mind is his inability to consistently make shots from 3-point range. That was one of his strengths in one season at Auburn, where Smith shot 42% from deep.

In 12 games played in January, Smith is shooting 17% (9-for-53) from beyond the arc and is 1-for-16 over his last five starts.

“I would say (I’m feeling) just pressure, knowing that I’m a shooter and they’re not going in right now,” Smith said after taking extra shots with Rockets assistant coach Rick Higgins. “It’s kind of frustrating, but you know, trying to keep that pressure off. It’s hard, because I’m my toughest critic. So, it’s just hard sometimes.”

One lesson the Rockets coaching staff has been teaching Smith is to use his other abilities as he works on getting his shooting touch back. On Saturday, Smith’s hustle and lockdown ability on defense helped Houston secure a victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Smith finished with 12 rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. His defensive stop on Pistons guard Alec Burks caused a jump ball with 20.6 seconds left in the game and the Rockets leading by one point. That play prompted his teammates to erupt off the bench.

“The shot wasn’t falling, but just trying to cover for my teammates,” said Smith. “Do the little things like defense, rebound and defend. “Just trying to help to impact the game in other ways.”

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Interview: New assistant coach Mike Batiste on joining the Rockets

“I was honored to get the call,” new Rockets assistant Mike Batiste tells @BigSargeSportz. “Coach Silas has old school rules but has a very innovative, new school way of thinking.”

LAS VEGAS — A loud voice bellows from the sideline as the Rockets summer league team holds practice in preparation for a game versus Oklahoma City.

“Jabari, you can cut your path to the lane if you take this angle. They are going to try and make you go one way, which will take you out of the play. But if you take the angle I just showed you, you can put more pressure on the backside defender.”

As summer league head coach Rick Higgins gives the instructions to re-run the play, Jabari Smith Jr., who was selected No. 3 overall by Houston in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft, follows the instructions and gets to the basket easier than on the last play.

On the sideline, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas smiled. He knew the instructions had come from someone who would be a welcome addition to his staff while helping develop his young team.

Mike Batiste, a new assistant coach, made his name known as a dominant force while playing overseas for Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos Athens from 2003-2012. During that time, he helped the team secure eight consecutive Greek League championships, five Greek Cups and three EuroLeague championships. He was awarded MVP of the Greek League and named Finals MVP in 2010.

Batiste, 44, was hired by the Rockets this offseason after serving as player development manager for the Washington Wizards last season. Though he had numerous offers to join other NBA coaching staffs, familiarity brought Batiste to Houston.

“To have some familiar faces where you know these guys believe in you and have confidence in you, that was a deal breaker,” said Batiste, who worked with Silas and Higgins at previous stops in Charlotte and Orlando. “Giving me more responsibility to lead, teach and preach to these guys was an attracting factor as well. I was honored to get the call. Coach Silas has old school rules but has a very innovative, new school way of thinking. He has an open mind and is willing to try new things. I liked that about him, and that brought me here.”

The former first-team All-Pac-10 player (1999) at Arizona State knows developing young talent such as Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun and others is vital for a rebuilding franchise like the current Rockets.

“Those guys are trending in the right direction in terms of being better pros,” Batiste said. “Being better versions of themselves in terms of their skill sets and fundamentals. I remember last year when I was with the Wizards, KPJ hit a game-winner on us.”

“So, you got some guys who can really score the ball in a high efficiency way, and it all starts with those guys,” Batiste added. “They are a year older, so we expect a lot from them, and hopefully they can answer the challenge in the right way.”

Houston finished last season as the worst team in the NBA, only winning 20 games. That was, however, an improvement from 17 wins the previous season. With a strong draft class in 2021, the Rockets brought in some very talented players.

Second-team All-American selection and National Freshman of the Year Jabari Smith Jr., who played at Auburn, and SEC Sixth Man of the Year and All-SEC first-team forward Tari Eason from LSU were selected in the first round in this year’s draft. Those additions should bolster the lineup on both ends of the court.

“I definitely feel that when we all get together, we are going to be one of the most competitive teams on the floor,” Batiste said. “I think we are going to be a high execution team and we are going to be that team that that goes out every single night and compete. We want to make teams scrap to beat us. We just want other teams to look on their schedule and see that Houston is coming into town and they have to work to beat us consistently for 48 minutes.”

Before leaving the interview, Batiste wanted to make sure Rockets fans know he plans on blending in with many Texas residents by purchasing a cowboy hat and boots.

“I have always liked that look but could never pull it off in the places I have been until now,” Batiste said with a big smile.

Batiste and the Rockets will have three days of training camp in Lake Charles, Louisiana, before returning home to prepare for their preseason opener on Oct. 2 at Toyota Center. Tipoff between the Rockets and in-state rival San Antonio is at 6 p.m. Central.

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Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr. earns first double-double in loss to Portland

Jabari Smith Jr. (19/10) had his best statistical game yet, but the Rockets struggled from 3-point range in Thursday’s summer league loss to Portland, making just 7-of-38 (18.4%).

Prized rookie Jabari Smith Jr. continued his run of strong summer league play with 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Houston Rockets, but it wasn’t enough to offset a cold shooting night for the team in Thursday’s 80-72 (box score) loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in Las Vegas.

The Rockets were short-handed on offense after shutting down leading scorer Josh Christopher (right hip soreness), and it showed with just 47 points over the final three quarters of Thursday’s game, combined. Houston made just 7-of-38 shots from behind the 3-point arc (18.4%).

Smith connected on 7-of-13 shots overall (53.8%), though he was 7-of-8 on two-point shots (87.5%) and 0-of-5 on 3-pointers. Fellow rookie Tari Eason had 17 points and 7 rebounds, though he shot just 7-of-19 (36.8%). With Christopher out, the new starting backcourt of Daishen Nix and TyTy Washington combined to shoot just 6-of-19 (31.6%).

In defeating Houston (2-2), the Trail Blazers (3-1) were led by 23 points from second-year guard Keon Johnson, who shot 8-of-13 from the field (61.5%) and made 4-of-8 from 3-point range (50.0%).

We’ll have more coverage in the days ahead as the Rockets gear up for a final summer league game on Saturday night (schedule) versus the Sacramento Kings. For now, here’s a look at Thursday’s highlights and immediate reaction by players, coaches, media members, and fans.

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Rockets working to improve Josh Christopher’s decision making on drives

“Josh clearly has a great strength for being able to get the ball in the paint,” Rick Higgins says of Christopher. “Josh’s next level of growth will be his decision-making when he does so.”

Josh Christopher, now entering his second season with the Houston Rockets, is very meticulous when it comes to the game of basketball.

He is constantly looking to get better and knows it will take some time to reach that elite level that he saw his basketball idol, the late Kobe Bryant, achieve as a critical piece to the Los Angeles Lakers’ success.

Earlier this month, Christopher chose to participate in the 2022 NBA summer league in Las Vegas to improve his game and help the Rockets’ young core of talent develop as they gear up for this upcoming season.

“My priorities for myself in summer league is to be very solid, be able to playmake, and win ballgames, of course,” Christopher said.

Christopher, 20, knows the process will take time and will not be easy. His summer league head coach and regular Rockets assistant, Rick Higgins, is aware that the No. 24 pick of the 2021 NBA draft is very talented — with a knack for getting into the paint with an explosive first step.

What he would like to see Christopher improve on is passing out of the paint, and finding open shooters when defenders collapse on him.

“Josh clearly has a great strength for being able to get the ball in the paint,” Higgins said at summer league in Las Vegas. “Josh’s next level of growth will be his decision-making when he does so. The ratio of good decisions to bad decisions needs to get better. The ability to get in the paint is always going to be his strength. As long as he stays in that mentality to play in the paint, to play for others, he’ll be way better.”

“It’s not going to be for Josh, how many shots I can get,” Higgins said. “It’s going to be which shots are better for the Rockets. I’ve been trying to tell him that for a year now. He’s getting better.”

One obvious takeaway from when he first stepped onto the court this summer was that Christopher is working on a particular aspect of his game that he wants to get better at. It’s finishing around the rim.

Of the 48 shots he attempted in Las Vegas, 39 were taken inside the paint, and 16 were made baskets.

All his work paid off in Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. Christopher had a solid fourth quarter, hitting 5-of-8 attempted shots in the paint (62.5%) in the Rockets’ 97-84 victory.

The former Arizona State Sun Devil knows that for his team to be successful in the future, he will have to become a better playmaker, and he says he is willing to do whatever it takes to improve the organization.

“It’s a process, just something we’re going to have to learn, get better at,” Christopher said when asked about balancing his aggressiveness and court awareness. “I think it comes with experience.”

“I think there is an expectation for me being a second-year player, but still young, 20 years old, played 15 games in college, went to a public school,” Christopher added. “All my life, I’ve been able to play ball freely, to dive into the deep end. Now, in the NBA, I get to pull back.”

On Wednesday, the Rockets decided it was best for Christopher to sit out the remaining summer league games, as he is dealing with right hip soreness. After sitting out practice, Christopher told reporters that he first felt some discomfort during the game against Oklahoma City on Saturday. It bothered him in Monday’s game versus San Antonio.

In three summer games, Christopher averaged 19.7 points (39.6% FG), 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 26.8 minutes. Between the low field-goal percentage and having 2.3 turnovers to 3.0 assists, it’s clear where the Rockets and Christopher would like to see improvement and growth in the NBA’s upcoming 2022-23 season, and it likely starts with knowing when to shoot and when to pass in the paint.

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Rockets see improved mentality, team approach driving defensive growth

Rick Higgins on Houston’s improved defense: “They looked at each other and decided they were going to put more physicality, more effort, and more togetherness into the game.”

After playing two highly anticipated primetime games with rookie showdowns in front of a packed Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, the Houston Rockets found themselves facing one of their in-state rivals in front of a half-empty arena on Monday night. For a quarter and a half, most of those fans were engaged in something other than watching the Rockets, who were trailing the San Antonio Spurs by 18 points.

Houston’s defense had surrendered 54 points to San Antonio with two minutes to go in the first half, and it looked as if they would head into halftime with the coaching staff perplexed about what happened to all the defensive sets they were running in practice. Summer league head coach Rick Higgins had seen enough, and he called a timeout to in hopes of lifting composure for his young group of players.

During most timeouts, the coaches will huddle first and then address the players. But this time, it was different. Coach Higgins allowed the players to talk amongst themselves and fix whatever communication issues they were having with each other. The seemingly resulted in a 10-0 run to finish the half, which cut the lead to eight points.

“We changed our mentality as a group,” Higgins said. “In no way was that me calling a timeout, saying whatever it is I said. It was they looked at each other and they made a decision they were going to put more physicality, more effort, and more togetherness into the game.”

The defensive mentality carried over into the second half as the Rockets outscored the Spurs 51-30, limiting them to 11 points on 19% shooting in the third quarter. Ultimately, Houston won with ease, 97-84, and rookies Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason were standouts on both ends.

“It is always a group thing,” Huggins said regarding his team’s defensive effort in the second half. “An individual player can say one thing, but it doesn’t matter if the group doesn’t hear it, take it, and run with it. Just because one person says it, the next person has to say it to the next person and believe it, and then it just trickles down.”

Although talking to one another may sound easy, it is one of the more difficult things to do when you have a group of young players who are only playing their third game together. Yet, the Rockets have shown a propensity to get on the same page in spurts at the 2022 summer league.

In their first game versus Orlando, Houston was attacked early by rookie Paolo Banchero — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft — who led his team to a blistering 52% shooting clip in the first half. Yet, the Rockets clamped down in the second half and limited the Magic to just 29% shooting, with Banchero shooting 17% over the final two quarters.

Houston’s next game against Oklahoma City featured the No. 2 selection in this year’s draft in 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren, along with three other players who had logged significant minutes during the 2021 NBA season. After going back and forth with the Thunder, Houston used a suffocating defensive scheme in the fourth quarter to limit Oklahoma City to just 30% shooting, leading to the team’s first summer league win.

Higgins and the Rockets now have time to implement a game plan that could allow them to put together a better defensive effort throughout all four quarters, as they will have two days off before facing the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CDT (schedule), with the game set for a national broadcast on NBA TV.

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Jabari Smith Jr. finding multiple ways to impact winning for Rockets

Despite subpar shooting, Jabari Smith Jr. still made a big impact in Houston’s summer league win over the Thunder. “My shots weren’t falling, but I feel I can impact the game in different ways.”

LAS VEGAS — After Houston lost Thursday’s opener to Orlando, summer league head coach Rick Higgins said he needed to do a better job of getting his rookie Jabari Smith Jr. the ball. In a reciprocating fashion, Smith said he realized that he needed to do a better job of getting to ideal spots on the floor so his teammates could get him the ball.

In Saturday’s 90-88 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting shots for Smith was not the problem. It was making them that plagued him for three quarters. Smith started the game going 0-for-4 in the first quarter and did not make any shot until 7:38 remained in the second quarter.

His second made basket came after he blocked Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, and raced up the floor to hit a 3-pointer, only seven seconds later. Smith, the No. 3 pick, finished the half going 2-for-10 and followed that up with a 1-for-6 third quarter.

Yet, Higgins never lost faith in Smith and knew that his confidence in himself would not allow him to stop taking shots.

“He is full of confidence,” Higgins said. “He is full of confidence, and he is supposed to be full because we all have the utmost confidence in him. So, obviously, we wanted him to shoot the ball. We just wanted him to shoot good shots. As long as he is shooting good shots, each and every one of his teammates are going to believe that it is going to go in.”

Although his shots were not falling for the first three quarters, Smith found ways to stay engaged on the court. He played excellent defense on Holmgren and did all the necessary things to make his teammates around him better and keep the Rockets within striking distance of the Thunder.

“My shots weren’t falling, but I feel I can impact the game in different ways,” Smith told reporters postgame. “Like just trying to play defense as hard as I can, try to get every rebound, try to block shots. So, I just tried to impact the game in different ways.”

Then, in the game’s final five minutes, Smith finally made an impact on the offensive end — just when his team needed it the most.

With Houston trailing Oklahoma City 80-76 with under 4:30 left to play in the fourth quarter, Smith knocked down his second 3-pointer of the game to pull the Rockets to within one point. On the next trip, his 16-foot turnaround jump shot gave Houston an 81-80 lead over the Thunder.

Finally, with time winding down and the Rockets clinging to a one-point lead, Smith’s presence was felt on the defensive end of the court. With 12 seconds left, Thunder guard Josh Giddey turned the ball over off the dribble, and Smith dove on the floor to retrieve the loose ball and was able to stay inbounds and call a timeout. Then, in a transition sequence a few seconds later, Smith used his length and lateral quickness to contest Giddey’s unsuccessful attempt at a tying shot as time expired.

Smith’s fourth-quarter plays indicate what type of player he is projected to be in the NBA. Most veterans will allude to having a mentality that helps erase bad nights, and Smith was able to forget the previous three quarters and did what it took to help his team win.

“Just trying to have a short-term memory,” said Smith, who finished the game with 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocked shots. “In college, you have to let stuff go quick because you have so many games, and at this level, it’s another level because you have to play five games in eight days maybe. I try not to worry about the past and just move on.”

The Rockets will get one day of rest before taking on one of their in-state rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, on Monday night in Las Vegas..

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Takeaways: In defensive battle, Jabari Smith Jr. rallies Rockets past Chet Holmgren, Thunder

Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren had similar games Saturday, with each defending well while struggling to finish on offense. But Smith made more key plays late, leading to Houston’s win.

Saturday’s summer league showdown between the Rockets and Thunder featured a clash of two of the top-three rookies in the NBA’s 2022 draft class: Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren.

Both prospects struggled to finish on offense, with Smith and Holmgren scoring 12 points apiece on 26.6% and 30.0% shooting, respectively. But each made a clear mark on defense, with Holmgren recording 8 rebounds and 4 blocks while Smith had 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks — with the latter two categories leading the summer Rockets.

Most notably, Smith saved his best for last. The Auburn product drilled a 3-pointer and a turnaround jumper in the final five minutes to put the Rockets back in front, and he collected a steal and a crucial late stop as Houston held on for a 90-88 win (box score). The final stop was massive, since Smith defended without fouling and used his length to force talented second-year guard Josh Giddey into a miss as time expired.

Smith wasn’t the only impressive rookie. Tari Eason had an efficient night with 14 points and 11 rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting (50.0%), while TyTy Washington added 9 points in 22 minutes off the bench — including a floater with under 30 seconds left that put Houston ahead to stay.

Second-year guards Josh Christopher and Daishen Nix led the Rockets in scoring with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Christopher added 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while Nix dished out a team-high 6 dimes.

Our Brian Barefield is on the scene in Las Vegas and will have more postgame content on Sunday, which is when the Rockets will practice as they gear up for their next summer league game on Monday versus San Antonio (schedule). For now, here’s a look at Saturday’s highlights and immediate reaction by players, coaches, media members, and fans.

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With Usman Garuba out, Aric Holman ready for opportunity with summer Rockets

With Usman Garuba out injured, Aric Holman wants to take advantage of an opportunity in Las Vegas. “I want to get a contract with somebody, hopefully it’s here in Houston,” @AricHolman says.

LAS VEGAS — One of the goals of summer league is to get rookies and other young players acclimated to playing in the NBA by learning the rules, game speed, and beyond. It is also a time for free agents to showcase their talents with hopes of being invited to a team’s training camp and eventually making a regular-season roster.

That last goal is precisely what 6-foot-9 forward Aric Holman, who played for San Antonio’s G League affiliate last season, wants to achieve when he gets opportunities to play over the next two weeks.

Holman is currently part of the Rockets’ summer league team, where he is playing alongside talents like second-year player Josh Christopher and rookies Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and TyTy Washington.

With forward Usman Garuba out with an ankle injury that is likely to cause him to miss the entire summer league, Holman is using this opportunity to display some of the talents he possesses to show the Rockets and the rest of the NBA that he is ready to compete for a roster spot.

“I want to get a contract with somebody, hopefully it’s here in Houston,” Holman said. “I just take it one day at a time. Just winning the day. Not thinking about game three, four, or five. Just winning that next game.”

Holman, who went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft out of Mississippi State, was very productive in Thursday’s summer league opener versus Orlando. He checked into the game late in the third quarter and immediately made an impact with two huge blocks in under one minute. Holman finished with 8 points in 14 minutes (box score) and showed potential as a stretch big, making 2-of-4 from 3-point range (50.0%).

That type of energy and production off the bench impressed Rockets summer league head coach Rick Higgins.

“He had one look that went terrible in the first half, but he came out in the second half with nothing but confidence, attention to detail, and energy,” said coach Higgins. “It helped our group immensely.”

When it comes to potentially earning a contract — keep in mind, Houston is reportedly looking for another backup big this offseason — Holman believes he brings intangibles that could help the Rockets be successful as they progress through their rebuild. Among his comments:

I am a very high IQ guy, so I just bring that to the floor. I communicate and make people better around me, and then I just take what is given to me. I don’t reach out for the extras; I just take what is given to me and help my team win.

“This is a great organization — a great coaching staff, great players all around,” Holman concluded. “As everyone starts to buy in, this is going to be a great organization.”

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Young Rockets learning from experience of 2022 NBA summer league opener

“The pace of the game was way faster, and the court was bigger, so there is more spacing,” TyTy Washington says of his NBA summer league debut. Houston returns to action Saturday night.

LAS VEGAS — One day after losing their first Summer League game to the Orlando Magic, the Houston Rockets were back in the gym trying to fix some of the things that led to the 91-77 defeat.

Orlando shot 52% overall and 50% on 3-pointers in the first half, led by 13 points from Paolo Banchero, who was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA draft. Houston looked lost in their sets on both sides of the ball, which stood out to summer league head coach Rick Higgins.

“The communication, which is interesting,” Higgins said Friday. “Because watching on film, you can almost — without being able to hear — you could feel the lack of communication.”

Unfamiliarity among a group of new teammates caused a lot of that miscommunication, since it was the first time most of the players on the Rockets had played with one another. Mix that in with a high amount of pregame adrenaline, and you have a team with no continuity.

“Obviously playing with new people you have to adapt,” second-year guard Josh Christopher said. “But that is what summer league is all about. Adapting and building chemistry with your new teammates.”

One of those teammates looking to build that chemistry through redemption is forward Jabari Smith Jr., who finished his highly anticipated matchup against Banchero with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Smith put in a lot of work during practice on Friday, preparing himself for another big matchup Saturday versus No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City (schedule). After getting a feel for playing in an NBA game on Thursday, Higgins expects Smith to rebound nicely.

“He hasn’t played a five-on-five basketball game since college and had his first one on last night (Thursday),” Higgins said regarding Smith’s debut performance. “Getting his feet under him, getting his body underneath him, and getting his game alignment will be huge.”

Saturday’s game will also be another opportunity for rookies Tari Eason and TyTy Washington to get more acclimated to playing NBA minutes. Eason finished Thursday’s game with a double-double, while Washington showed glimpses of being able to run an NBA offense.

“It was real, live NBA action, so I was happy to be out there,” Washington said after practice. “The pace of the game was way faster, and the court was bigger, so there is more spacing. I was just being a better leader vocally and staying aggressive. Taken what the defense was giving me. Whether that was me taking a shot, getting to the rim, or finding a teammate, I stayed aggressive throughout the whole game.”

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Rockets rookie Tari Eason making immediate NBA impact with energy

“He played with so much energy, he had no energy at the end,” Rockets coach Rick Higgins says of Tari Eason’s debut (14 points, 13 rebounds). “He put everything he had into the game.”

LAS VEGAS — Rockets rookie Tari Eason wanted to make a solid first impression in front of his head coach Stephen Silas, who was sitting on the sidelines to watch Houston take on Orlando in the first game of the 2022 NBA summer league. Before teammates Jalen Green, Jae’Sean Tate, KJ Martin, Alperen Sengun, and more could get settled in their seats, Eason made them stand right back to their feet.

Twelve seconds into the game, Daishen Nix found Eason coming off a screen he had set for Jabari Smith Jr. Eason took one dribble and exploded towards the rim for a thunderous dunk over Emanuel Terry, giving Houston its first two points and bringing the crowd to its feet.

“Me and Jabari had talked before the game, and he asked me if I was going to dunk on someone, and I said, ‘Yeah, bro,’” Eason said postgame. “It just happened to be the first play of the game and my first real NBA bucket. That was special.”

The Rockets selected Eason at No. 17 overall in this year’s draft after he made First Team All-SEC and won SEC Sixth Man of the Year at LSU. His on-court tenacity is one of the things that stood out when the Rockets were scouting him prior to the June 23 draft, and it showed during Houston’s 91-77 loss (box score) to the summer Magic.

“He played with so much energy, he had no energy at the end,” said Rick Higgins, Houston’s summer league head coach in Las Vegas.

“He put so much into the early, that when we got late into the game it was tougher for him to maintain that same level,” Higgins surmised. “But that wasn’t from a lack of desire or want. He was putting everything he had into the game, and his coach didn’t take him out enough.”

Eason finished with a double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds), but he shot just 35.3% from the field and 22.2% on 3-pointers, which he wants to improve by Saturday’s game versus Oklahoma City (schedule).

“I have to knock down the corner three-ball when I am open and pick my spots wisely,” said Eason, who has already been working with Rockets assistant John Lucas on improving his shooting mechanics. ’

Playing the Magic was a bit of a reunion for Eason, who squared off with the No. 1 overall pick in Orlando’s Paolo Banchero. The two faced each other in 2020 in Washington’s high school state championship game.

“It’s great to play against Paolo,” Eason said. He is a special talent. I’ve known him for a very long time now. We were chirping back and forth during the game. It’s all love, though. I’m really proud of him.”

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