NBA Preseason: 5 surprising players making a splash in early exhibitions

4. Jabari Smith Jr. uses NBA Preseason to prove his No. 1 pick hype was real.

In an absolute route of their interstate rival San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Rockets put the capabilities of No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr. on full display. Whether he was on the ball or rotating off it, Smith Jr. slithered around the court and navigated space with expert precision. He was masterful when relocating around the perimeter to position himself for catch-and-shoot jumpers, of which he nailed several en route to a 21-point outing.

More impressively than anything else, we got to see some ball-handling from the 19-year-old rookie. He appeared to be comfortable with the ball in his hands, using the triple-threat stance to initiate offense for jump shots and drives to the basket. That self-creation was the biggest knock against Smith Jr., and in turn, was a major factor in him falling out of his projected No. 1 status in favor of Paolo Banchero.

But if this is the version of Smith Jr. that we’ll see in his first professional season, the league needs to be on high alert — Houston might be a problem.