Kevin Durant’s arrival in Houston gives the Rockets both a true No. 1 scoring option and a veteran presence for a squad that finished second in the Western Conference last season before being eliminated by the veteran-heavy Golden State Warriors in the playoffs.With Durant now in the mix, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr., set to earn $12,350,392 in 2025-26 before his five-year, $122 million extension begins, has reportedly found a new mentor in KD, and fans are buzzing about the pairing.According to Rockets writer Justin Levine (RedNinetyFour), the 22-year-old has altered his daily schedule just to be around Kevin Durant as much as possible.“I was told Jabari Smith Jr. has basically just chained himself to KD,” Levine tweeted on Thursday. “He’s asked the staff to tailor his entire schedule to being with KD at all times.”The report sparked plenty of fan reactions."Finally got my young demon,” one said.“That's insane and extremely encouraging,” another said.“Jabari's ceiling is KD. Klay thompson 3 & D type easily,” another commented.Not everyone, however, was convinced.Nathan @NateNTheHLINKThis type of stuff is overrated IMO. Sure, he can pickup some good habits and things, but some folks assume a great players presence will somehow instantly make that player great as well. I think Jabari was due for a breakout season even before KD got here.Roosh @RooshWilliamsLINKI wish Jabari would just focus on trying to make 3s at 38% and doing role player stuff. Hearing him talk about improving his handle and blah blah blah doesn’t excite me. Just do your job and be good at it.Bryan ▲ @_CheckThaMethodLINKMy feelings about this is two fold. It's great that Jabari wants to take in whatever he can with KD while he's here, don't get me wrong. But being great doesn't just involve copying a player's style. He needs to find ways that he can become the best Jabari, not the next KDSmith is coming off his toughest statistical year yet, starting only 39 of 57 games before suffering a midseason fracture in his left hand. He averaged career-lows of 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game while shooting 35.4% from deep.Ime Udoka sees promise in Jabari Smith Jr.-Kevin Durant tandemHouston Rockets coach Ime Udoka has taken notice of Jabari Smith Jr.’s effort to learn from Kevin Durant and expressed optimism about the young forward’s growth."Jabari's been a sponge," Udoka said (per SI). "Soaking up (information), working out together, learning some of the things he does well, regardless of him taking a natural step as well."Udoka even likened the duo to the Orlando Magic’s mid-2000s tandem of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu, both versatile 6-foot-10 forwards."You look at Rashard Lewis, Hedo (Turkoglu)," Udoka said. "One of those guys had an advantage on a nightly basis."Like Lewis and Turkoglu, Smith and Durant bring rare size on the wing, both standing at 6-foot-11.Smith has shown flashes as a 3-and-D forward and is reportedly working to expand his offensive game, while Durant is widely considered one of the most unstoppable scorers in NBA history with his three-level scoring ability at his height.