Houston Rockets third-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. will miss 4-to-6 weeks after fracturing his left hand during the team’s shootaround on Friday, according to head coach Ime Udoka.
Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. broke his left (non-shooting) hand in shootaround today and will be out 4-6 weeks, Ime Udoka just said. Smith will need surgery, but the date will be determined after the Rockets confirm the severity of the injury with a second medical opinion.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) January 3, 2025
Through 33 games, Smith is averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 30.9 minutes per night. He’d slotted in as Houston’s starting power forward for every contest as the Rockets jumped out to a 22-11 start, good for third in the West and just half a game back of the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
Udoka said Amen Thompson will absorb a chunk of Smith’s vacated minutes when he returns from his two-game suspension on Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Impacting the game, he’s starting to figure out how to do it without the play calls, on the offensive glass, getting out in transition, some of those things,” Udoka told reporters of Smith prior to Friday’s game with the Boston Celtics. “He had been much better, obviously, the last 10 or so games and so it sucks to see this happen at this time.”
Smith will undergo surgery.
Udoka highlighted Smith’s impressive performance across the last 10-or-so games, added it “sucks” to lose the third-year forward amid a strong stretch. pic.twitter.com/e6SSVNLN4S
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) January 3, 2025
With Thompson suspended and Tari Eason sidelined because of a left leg injury, Smith’s absence is another blow to Houston’s forward room. Although, Thompson is only set to miss one more game, so at least one reinforcement should return soon.
The Rockets had been embracing Smith as their small-ball backup 5 lately. Without him around for an extended period, veteran big man Steven Adams could see an uptick in minutes behind Alperen Şengün.
Burly wing Jae’Sean Tate may also further reinsert himself into the rotation. After not playing much through the first eight weeks of the year, Tate is averaging 13 minutes per game since Dec. 22. A steady rotation role should likely continue in the interim.
