Our Brian Barefield has followed the Houston Rockets (2-1) for the first three games and associated practices at the NBA’s 2022 summer league in Las Vegas, so we welcomed him to The Lager Line podcast Monday night to share what he’s learned watching Jabari Smith Jr. and company.
Though Smith struggled in his first two games as a shooter, the 19-year-old rookie was very efficient with 19 points and 9 rebounds in Monday’s win over San Antonio, and he’s regularly delivered a significant impact on the defensive end.
Topics on the episode with “Big Sarge” and Ben DuBose include reaction to Smith’s summer league start and his impressive mentality; promising signs by fellow rookies Tari Eason and TyTy Washington; the competition between Washington and Daishen Nix at point guard; Josh Christopher’s optimal usage; and Aric Holman as a potential backup big candidate.