It was a busy draft night for the Rockets, headlined by the pick of Auburn forward Jabari Smith at No. 3 in the 2022 first round. Smith was widely expected to be selected by Orlando at No. 1 overall, so his availability to Houston came as a shocking late development after the Magic opted to change course and pick Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
Known for his elite shooting and versatile defense, Smith should significantly help a Houston squad that ranked dead last among the NBA’s 30 teams in defense last season. The same can be said of LSU forward Tari Eason, who was drafted by the Rockets at No. 17 (via Brooklyn) as a direct result of the blockbuster James Harden trade.
Here’s what stood out about Thursday’s draft night to general manager Rafael Stone. When reading, keep in mind that Stone was not yet able to comment on the addition of Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr. at No. 29, since that came as part of a multi-team trade for Christian Wood that has yet to be formally processed by the league office.
Rafael Stone on what stood out to him about Jabari Smith on film:
“I did notice that when he shoots it, it usually goes in.”
“He’s probably the best shooter in the draft, and at his height, that’s extraordinarily unusual.” #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 24, 2022
#Rockets GM Rafael Stone said they had no advance notice that Paolo Banchero would be the Magic’s choice at no. 1, but said they were prepared for it, there were a couple phone calls to make, & they’re really excited with who they got in Jabari Smith Jr.
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 24, 2022
Stone: “Jabari is so big. He moves exceptionally well, really well on the perimeter… I don’t remember anybody at his size with his ability to stay in front (of players) and contest on the perimeter.”
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 24, 2022
Rockets GM Rafael Stone on the defensive potential of Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason: “They’re really long and they’re very athletic, so I think they fit what we’re trying to build. But they’re also rookies, so when we talk about defense, there’s a learning curve.”
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone says he had no advanced knowledge that Orlando was switching up. “I had a lot of people tell me that they knew exactly what was going to happen, but I thought it was funny because I didn’t.”
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone on drafting Jabari Smith and Tari Eason:
“They’re both two-way players, and they’re really long and athletic. I think they fit what we’re trying to build.”
“They’re super talented. We’re really excited. This has been a good night.” #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 24, 2022
Asked Rafael Stone about Tari Eason’s defense: “Tari can play defense man. He plays really hard, he’s a great athlete, and he’s very committed on the defensive end.”
Stone called Tari a “playmaker” on defense.
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) June 24, 2022
“We need to work hard. We need to play hard. I believe we will. Thats the primary expectation. If you consistently outwork the other team, I think good things will happen…”
– Stone on his expectations for this group, but added, “Our roster is far from certain at this point.”— Cayleigh Griffin (@cayleighgriffin) June 24, 2022
“At the very top of the draft in general, there were some immensely talented guys who are very different. We felt like we were going to get an unbelievable talent where we were and we did. And we knew that going in,” #Rockets GM Rafael Stone on drafting @jabarismithjr
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 24, 2022
#Rockets GM Rafael Stone on @jabarismithjr & @TAR13ASON “I think they both have a chance to be really, really impactful NBA players. Both these kids play really, really hard. They’re dynamic & athletic & they’re long.”
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone on Jabari Smith Jr. being there at pick 3: “It was huge. It made my night. He’s a super important piece of the puzzle.”
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone on drafting Tari Eason: “He was someone we were extraordinarily high on. We were sweating bullets as our pick came up.”
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone: “I think Jabari [Smith] is your prototypical 4, Big Wing.” #Rockets
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) June 24, 2022
Stone on the Smith-Şengün combo:
“I think they complement each other extraordinarily well.”
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone on how Jabari Smith fits:
“He’s a seamless fit with our current group.” #Rockets
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone on Jabari Smith: He’s a seamless fit with our current group, Tari too.”
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) June 24, 2022
Rafael Stone: “When we talk about position for us at the #Rockets, we tend to think more about defense than offense.”
“In time, we expect Tari Eason to guard 1-through-5…I think Jabari can switch 1-through-5, more 3-4-5 defensively.” #Rockets
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) June 24, 2022
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