As the Houston Rockets prepared to enter the season, a number of questions, primarily centered around the absence of starting point guard Fred VanVleet, cropped up concerning what sort of combinations the team could put forward in their starting lineup.
Among these considerations was the role of Jabari Smith Jr., who many argued would be better for the team coming off the bench prior to the VanVleet injury. Yet, Smith, in just one preseason quarter, showed everyone that Houston is better off with him as a starter no matter the circumstances.