Rockets F Jabari Smith Jr. out 4-6 weeks after breaking hand at shootaround

Jabari Smith Jr. has started every game of the Houston Rockets’ season so far, but that streak will end Friday.

The former No. 1 overall pick broke his left hand during shootaround before Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics and will be out 4-6 weeks, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said via Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle.

The injury, which is to Smith’s non-shooting hand, will reportedly require surgery, but the Rockets first need to confirm the severity via a second opinion.

Currently in his third year in the NBA, Smith hasn’t progressed into the star some envisioned when he got taken first in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he has played the fourth-most total minutes on a Rockets team that entered Friday sitting in third place in the Western Conference with a 22-11 record.

Houston’s defense, ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating, has been its calling card, and Smith has contributed to that mostly with his versatility at 6-foot-11. Without him, the Rockets will have to play smaller at wing with increased minutes for the likes of Tari Eason and Amen Thompson.

Having played 79 games in his rookie year and 76 as a sophomore, Smith is now guaranteed to record a career low in appearances this season.