"I tried to mimic that": Jabari Smith wants to replicate Kevin Durant's key habit 

Jabari Smith recently sat down with Mark Medina for a Sportskeeda exclusive. Smith discussed a multitude of topics. The Houston Rockets star also talked about working out with some of the biggest stars in the league this offseason. One of those star’s included Kevin Durant.

Smith had multiple sessions with the NBA sharpshooter this summer. The two have similar builds and Smith could learn a lot about shooting from the fellow towering forward. The connection between the two began with the famed pick-up runs at UCLA in Los Angeles this summer.

“I came out here in LA playing in the Rico Hines runs. Before a pickup, he was working out and I just jumped in with him and his trainer. It was pretty good,” Jabari Smith said.

Durant is famous for his dedication to the game. He spends hours on shooting workouts and is often seen shooting from all angles and footings during pregame shootarounds. Smith noticed Durant’s detailed orientation.

“He pays a lot of attention to detail. It was good for me to see with just how hard you got to work, how consistent you got to be and how important it is to focus on the little things,” Jabari Smith said.

It was the repetitions that stood out to Smith. Durant strives to make every shot look the same, no matter the location on the floor.

“Shooting the same shot every time. If you see him shoot, every shot is the same. If you see how precise all of his movements are, he’s like a robot. Everything looks the same. So, I tried to mimic that,” Jabari Smith said.

Smith could pick up similar skills from Durant. He has the height and release to shoot over almost any defender. He could develop a lethal midrange game like Durant.

Jabari Smith season stats

Jabari Smith has had a bit of a slow start to the season. The Houston Rockets forward is expected to take big steps in his sophomore season.

Smith is currently the fifth-leading scorer on the Rockets roster. The team has added new pieces in Fred VanVleet and Dillion Brooks that have taken some shots from Smith. However, he is still entrenched in the starting lineup and has played in all ten games so far this season.

Smith is averaging 12.0 points per game. The big man is also adding 7.0 rebounds per game. He has been outshoned a bit by fellow young, big Alperen Sengun. The Turkish center is leading the team in scoring with 19.8 ppg and 8.2 rpg.

Smith is shooting 46.7 percent from the field this season. His best game so far came in a 107-89 win against the Sacramento Kings. Smith scored 21 points and grabbed 11 boards. It was the only game where he put up 20 points at this point of the season.