Rookie Wire makes bold prediction in favor of Jabari Smith
Jabari Smith’s Auburn career was short but memorable.
Smith scored 16.9 points and pulled down 7.4 boards in his lone season at Auburn. He also shot 42% from beyond the arc. His success shooting the three-ball has one writer believing he could set a new NBA record.
In Rookie Wire’s “10 bold rookie predictions for the 2022-23 season” post, writer Cody Taylor predicts that Smith could break the NBA’s rookie three-point record.
Taylor says that Smith should earn plenty of playing time with the Houston Rockets, which will give him plenty of opportunity to break the record currently held by Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell, who shot 34% during his rookie campaign with the Utah Jazz during the 2017-18 season.
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. is viewed as one of the top shooters in the rookie class this year, regardless of position. He set the Auburn record last season for a freshman for points (576) and 3-pointers (79) after hitting 42% of his 5.53 attempts per game.
The third pick struggled a bit in the summer league, converting 25.9% from beyond the arc. However, he bounced back during his lone preseason appearance, recording 21 points, eight rebounds and two assists on 5-of-8 shooting from distance on Oct. 2.
The Rockets’ first-round selection of the 2022 NBA Draft had a solid pro debut on Wednesday. Smith scored 17 points, which is the fourth-most by a Rockets rookie in their first professional game.
List
Five former Tigers preparing for upcoming NBA season
Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire
Source: Yahoo Sports
