Via the Houston Chronicle:
The Houston Rockets dropped their fifth straight season opener in Wednesday’s 117-107 loss in Atlanta.
It was a difficult shooting night for Stephen Silas’s squad, and a poor fourth quarter could be a harbinger of things to come for what is expected to be a lottery-bound team. Yet Houston’s young talent did provide some hope in the loss. Forward Jabari Smith tallied 17 points in his NBA debut, and fellow rookie Tari Eason provided a spark off the bench with eight points and seven rebounds. This season could be another slog for Rockets fans. It will be worth appreciating the little things as the team heads toward a likely 50-plus loss season…
Jabari Smith is a serious spacer: The No. 3 pick didn’t post the most efficient shooting night as he went 6-17 from the floor and 3-11 from beyond the arc, but frankly the sheer number of three-point attempts from Smith on Wednesday is an encouraging sign. Smith projects to be one of the best shooting big men in the league in the coming years, and he drained 42 percent of attempts during his lone season at Auburn. It was encouraging to see him shoot with confidence in his pro debut.
