Rockets forward star: I don t want to have such a long offseason anymore, I ve made comprehensive progress

Previously, the Houston Rockets held a media day event for the new season. During this period, the team's forward star Jabari Smith Jr. was interviewed by the media. In the interview, he talked about this year's offseason and his improvement in self-confidence.

Smith said: It has been a long summer, and I will never want to rest for such a long time again in the future, and I will never want to have such a long summer again. We only played seven games with the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs last season, and then we were eliminated and entered a long offseason, which made my teammates and I feel very upset. We all believe we can play at a higher level and we have the ability to go further in the playoffs. Now that the new season is finally about to begin, I can't wait to return to the court as soon as possible. Speaking about my improvement in self-confidence, Smith continued: My self-confidence has been greatly enhanced, and I feel like I have improved in all aspects of the game. This summer is of great significance to me. I have practiced a lot, improved my shortcomings in all aspects, and my physical condition is also at a very ideal level. I have made full preparations in all aspects. I am ready to show everyone my training results this summer and my current strength.

In the NBA regular season last season, Smith played 57 games in 82 games, averaging 30.1 minutes per game, averaging 12.2 points, 7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.8 blocks, and 1.1 turnovers and 2.2 fouls. He shot 43.8%, three-point shooting percentage 35.4%, and free throw shooting percentage 82.5%. During the playoffs, Smith played 7 games in total, with averaging 20.5 minutes per game, averaging 7.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.1 steals and 0.7 blocks, and 1.4 turnovers and 0.9 fouls. He shot 50% from the field, 45.5% from three-point shooting percentage and 80% from free throws.

This summer, Smith completed an early contract renewal with the Rockets. What he received from the Rockets was a five-year contract renewal with a total amount of $122 million. Smith's performance last season was only average. His scoring methods on the offensive end were actually slightly single. His performance on the defensive end was average, but it was not a very outstanding level. However, the Rockets still provided him with a large early contract renewal and locked in his future in the team. I wonder what kind of performance will Smith, who has won a big contract in the new NBA regular season, and can he play a more critical role in both offense and defense?