NBA Veteran Frank Kaminsky Lauds Growth Of Rockets Rookie Jabari Smith Jr.

Veteran big man Frank Kaminsky joined the Rockets at the February 2023 trade deadline for salary matching purposes. Ultimately, he played very little over the 2022-23 season’s final two months due to Houston’s rebuilding emphasis and a desire to evaluate young players.

Nonetheless, Kaminsky was an active participant on the bench and at practices, where he tried to help the development of many of those highly touted prospects. In a new interview with The Players’ Platform of BVM Sports, Kaminsky says there was one particular standout, at least in terms of improvement over that time.

Among Kaminsky’s comments:

Since I’ve been here, the person I’ve seen make the most steps is Jabari Smith. He’s starting to figure out where his shots come from, and body positioning.

He does need to add strength to his frame, and stuff like that, but just his size, athleticism, and shotmaking ability… you don’t see that very often. You don’t see 6-11 guys that can shoot over the top of people and have a higher release, and shoot the ball at a high clip, like he can. He’s played very well and hit some big shots, a game-winner [against the Pelicans]. He doesn’t back down from anyone, he’s not afraid.

It’s all just really positive, and I think he’s going to be a really good player in the league for a long time.

To Kaminsky’s point, here’s a look at Smith’s statistics from before and after the Feb. 9 trade deadline (when Kaminsky joined):

Before (52 games): 11.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 blocks, 38.9% FG, 30.0% on 3-pointers, 78.2% free throws
After (27 games): 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 44.0% FG, 32.2% on 3-pointers, 79.3% free throws

Smith, Houston’s No. 3 overall draft pick from the 2022 first round, won’t even turn 20 years old until May. That leaves plenty of time for him to build on that growth in 2023-24 and well beyond.

Kaminsky’s contract expires after this season, so his NBA future remains unclear. His complete interview can be viewed below.