The Houston Rockets believe another year of continuity could elevate them into serious championship contention, and forward Jabari Smith Jr. expects a noticeable step forward during the 2026-27 season.
Appearing on the latest episode of Chiney Today with Chiney Ogwumike, Smith discussed why he believes Houston is poised to improve after a disappointing playoff exit this past April.
“I think you’re gonna see a team that is more used to playing with each other. We added Kevin Durant last year. We gotta adjust to playing with him and his playstyle obviously, anybody could play with him. But just tendencies and getting Fred [VanVleet] back will be huge for us.”
Smith also pointed to the natural growth of one of the NBA’s youngest cores.
“I think you’ll see everybody older, obviously a lot better, more mature. See a lot better team next year for sure.”
“I think you’re gonna see a team that is more used to playing with each other. We added Kevin Durant last year. See a lot better team next year for sure”
Jabari Smith Jr. speaks on what to expect from the Rockets next season 🗣️
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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 8, 2026
Jabari Smith Jr. believes continuity can elevate Rockets
The Rockets entered last season with lofty expectations after acquiring Durant to complement a rising young nucleus led by Smith, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard. However, Houston’s season ended with a first-round playoff loss to an injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers team that advanced despite Luka Doncic missing the entire series and Austin Reaves returning from injury during the matchup.
Now, Smith believes another year of chemistry could make the difference. He emphasized that learning Durant’s tendencies and welcoming VanVleet back into the lineup should help the Rockets operate more smoothly on both ends of the floor.
Houston also returns one of the league’s deepest young rotations, giving head coach Ime Udoka another opportunity to build on the franchise’s recent progress.
With training camp still months away, Smith is already setting high expectations. If the Rockets’ core develops as he anticipates and the roster remains healthy, Houston hopes last season’s early playoff exit becomes a stepping stone rather than a setback as the organization pursues a deeper run in 2026-27.
The Houston Rockets believe another year of continuity could elevate them into serious championship contention, and forward Jabari Smith Jr. expects a noticeable step forward during the 2026-27 season. Appearing on the latest episode of Chiney Today with Chiney Ogwumike, Smith discussed why he believes Houston is poised to improve after a disappointing playoff exit this past April.
