What happened to Jabari Smith Jr.? Latest update on Rockets forward's injury (Jan. 3)

The Houston Rockets (22-11) will be without forward Jabari Smith Jr. on Friday against the Boston Celtics. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the big man suffered a fractured left hand during the team's shootaround and is expected to miss four to eight weeks of action.

Smith is coming off a 12-point outing on New Year's Day in a win against the 110-95 Dallas Mavericks. The 21-year-old forward has played 33 games for the Rockets.

He's averaging 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists, his lowest numbers. Even with his low numbers, Smith remains one of the most important players on the roster. The big man is shooting 35.4% from 3-point range, making him one of the Rockets' greatest outside shooters.

The Celtics will also be shorthanded in their game against the Rockets as All-Star forward Jaylen Brown will miss his second straight game due to a shoulder injury. However, big man Kristaps Porzingis has been upgraded to available.

---

Fans devastated after Jabari Smith Jr.'s injury

Jabari Smith Jr. is part of the team's starting lineup. He spreads the floor for Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun with his outside shooting. The team's performance over the next two months as they attempt to maintain their winning momentum will be impacted by his absence.

Houston is third in the Western Conference and their season is looking bright. With Smith's injury, fans were devastated and concerned about how the team will keep their spot in the top three.

"Injuries have been the most important factor in this season. It sucks," one fan said.

"Man this sucks. Bari is a hooper," another fan said.

"How does one fracture their hand while shooting around?" a fan wondered.

Other fans started to speculate on the future of Smith, as the Rockets are linked to the Jimmy Butler-Miami Heat saga.

"Welp, guess out the Jimmy sweepstakes," a fan said.

"Nah they gearing up that trade package for Jimmy," another fan commented.

"No trade for Jimmy with Houston then lol," one fan said.

The Rockets were named as one of the trade destinations for Butler, who made a trade request on Thursday. Houston boasts a good amount of young talent, which includes Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard.

Smith is in his third season after he was drafted by the Rockets in 2022 with the third overall pick.