Jalen Green #4 of the Houston Rockets shoots the ballagainst the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 14, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Andy Lyons/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—Houston Rockets star Jalen Green is raring to get the new NBA season going and share the floor with highly-touted draft pick Jabari Smith Jr.
Smith was selected third overall pick by the Rockets after Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic and Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2022 draft four months ago.
The 6-foot-11 forward is expected to be a vital piece for the young Rockets along with Green and Kevin Porter Jr., who just signed a four-year extension.
“I’m super excited to play with him (Smith). The young guys are going to be super good. He’s super talented. He made an impact on our team from day one when he came in,” Green said during an online roundtable with Filipino media on Tuesday (Manila time).
“It’s gonna be super exciting just to see how their process is going and we’ll be there for them, also. We want to win games, they’re gonna impact the game so much and he’s going to help us out a lot,” added the Fil-American Green, who recently visited the Philippines for a promotional event last August.
Jabari Smith Jr. #1 of the Houston Rockets holds the ball while Tre Jones #33 of the San Antonio Spurs defends during the game at Toyota Center on October 02, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images/AFP
The 19-year-old Smith made a good account of himself in his preseason debut with the Rockets in a win over the San Antonio Spurs on October 2, collecting 21 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes. He shot 5-of-8 from long range in the victory.
Smith, however, missed the remainder of the preseason after hurting his ankle in practice.
He was a star at Auburn, where he averaged 16.9 points on 42 percent shooting from the 3-point area. He also normed 7.4 rebounds and a block per game in his lone season with the Tigers.
The addition of Smith has the Rockets brimming with potential.
But as part of one of the youngest teams in the league, Green is tempering his expectations heading into the season, which tips off Wednesday. The Rockets, who finished with the worst record in the league last season at 20-62, open the new season in Atlanta on Thursday.
“Everyone knows we’re a super young team. We’re not expected to win a lot of games. I think we have a lot of young talents and a lot of guys who want to win on my team right now. We’re all bought in, that’s what’s different this year.”