Järvsö Downhill

[Sean Vaidhyanathan]

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He helped the Rockets end a three-game losing streak with a career-best 18 rebounds. But on an individual level, Smith was glad to have made a statement to the team that passed on him with the No. 2 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. Smith outplayed his draftmate Chet Holmgren, who the Thunder selected with the second pick.

The game marked Holmgren's and Smith's first meeting against each other. A Lisfranc injury robbed Holmgren of the entire 2022-23 season. Inside the locker room after the game, Smith kept bobbing his head, singing Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake.

"This is one of the teams that passed on me," Smith said. "It is always at the back of my mind. But they made their pick. I don't think about it too much. But I'll use it as motivation. They are also a young team that's growing. And we will be seeing them for years to come."

Holmgren came into Houston as a top candidate to take home Rookie of the Year honors, averaging 17.6 points on .531/.395/.865 shooting splits while adding 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. But inside the Toyota Center, Smith helped the Rockets make the former Gonzaga prospect a non-factor.

Houston held Holmgren to four points on 2 of 9 shooting and five rebounds. After the game, coach Ime Udoka said the key to stopping Holmgren was to take away his pick-and-pop options and advantages when attacking downhill.

"It's always fun competing against a really good player," Holmgren said. "And to be able to play against him [Smith] at the highest level is always a blessing. Obviously, I missed our battles last year. So, just to be able to play against him now, it's just a blessing."

Smith finished with six points. But due to the scoring output from his teammates, Smith felt he was able to turn his focus to the defensive end. Dillon Brooks led the Rockets with 23 points in the win, while Alperen Şengn added 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting, seven assists and six rebounds.

Since the loss of Amen Thompson, Holiday has filled the vacancy as Houston's backup point guard. His performance against the Thunder displayed his value. However, Holiday's play demonstrated why Udoka pursued the veteran guard during free agency.

"All those things we factored into why we wanted him here," Udoka said. "Unfortunate that Amen goes down. But you obviously have a great piece there that's ready to play and [we've] seen what he's done."

The Rockets extended their home winning streak to nine by defeating the Thunder. It's an impressive streak, but the Rockets' top objective moving forward is to record a victory away from the Toyota Center.

Houston is the only team in the league without a road win after dropping eight consecutive games. The Rockets will have a chance to end their streak Friday night in a road match against the Denver Nuggets.

The "Triple Take" continues its look at the 2024 NFL Draft with a breakdown of the inside linebackers. The Steelers Radio Network trio of Matt Williamson, Dale Lolley and Mike Prisuta give their takes on the top prospects at the position.

Stay up-to-date with Steelers draft news by downloading the Steelers Official Mobile App (Apple Store Google Play) and enabling the "Draft" push notification category (More --> Settings --> Notifications).

Sleeper - Curtis Jacobs, Penn State (6-1, 241 lbs.) - Considered a throwback, downhill thumper at inside linebacker, Jacobs was productive in the past three seasons at Penn State. But he turned some heads with a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. Jacobs can get a little better with his play recognition, but the tools are there. While he learns, he can be a demon on special teams.

#5 - Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson (6-0, 228 lbs.) - There were some questions regarding his size, but he came in at 228 pounds at the Combine. The son of a former NFL linebacker, Trotter has been high on all of the draft lists for a while. But he only comes in at 5th on my list because he lacks some of the bulk and length of the players ahead of him. The production, however, was good. In the past two seasons, he had 167 tackles, four interceptions, 11 sacks, 28.5 tackles for a loss and four forced fumbles.

#4 - Cedric Gray, North Carolina (6-1 , 234 lbs) - Gray was extremely productive at North Carolina, wracking up 266 tackles the past two seasons. He also intercepted five passes, forced five fumbles and had 8.5 sacks in his career. Gray ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, which is plenty fast enough to play the position in the NFL. Was outstanding at the Senior Bowl.

#2 - Junior Colson, Michigan (6-2, 238 lbs.) - A three-down linebacker with good size, Colson was the man in the middle for Michigan's excellent defense in 2023. His timing at his pro day will be critical since he didn't work out at the Combine. Colson's tape is good, but is he as fast as some of the other top linebackers in this class? Colson is tough and a hard-nosed player.

This is not a great off-ball linebacker class, especially for early draft picks. It would be a shock if any player at this position was drafted in the first round. It has become a trend that linebackers drafted early (often because of their great physical traits) struggle early in their NFL career and take time to develop. This linebacker class is littered with prospects that should start their career as core special teamers and then maybe develop into defensive contributors. But there are not many instant impact players.

Sleeper - Steele Chambers, Ohio State (6-1, 226 lbs.) - Chambers is a bit of a project at linebacker, as he began his career as a running back. But he is a good athlete and should make an immediate impact on special teams as he learns the linebacker trade. Chambers already has a nose for the football but could stand to add more bulk and strength to better take on big blockers at the next level. Chambers might develop into a starting linebacker in a year or two and should come at a discount price on draft day.

#5 - Cedric Gray, North Carolina (6-1 , 234 lbs) - This is a productive player in all aspects of linebacker play with good length and speed. Gray is a run-and-hit guy. Gray flies to the football but doesn't have great eyes or anticipation. He could also stand to be more physical when taking on blocks and will run himself out of plays at times. That being said, there is a lot to work with here and maybe a year from now Gray is an impact player.

#4 - Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson (6-0, 228 lbs.) - The son of a very successful NFL linebacker, Trotter's excellent football IQ should surprise no one. He consistently has a great feel for what the opposing offense is looking to accomplish and wastes very few steps in his assignments. He is also an excellent communicator and leader of a defense. He has very good fundamentals, but Trotter has short arms and slightly below average physical traits for a starting off the ball defender at the next level.

#3 - Junior Colson, Michigan (6-2, 238 lbs.) - Colson grew up in Haiti with a soccer background before starting 36 games at Michigan. Colson is considered an excellent communicator and handled all the intricacies of the Wolverines' complex defensive schemes. He has a good feel for coverage at the second level but thrives as a physical run defender. But Colson is somewhat of a straight-line player and isn't especially fluid changing directions.

#2 - Payton Wilson, North Carolina State (6-4, 233 lbs.) - Without exact knowledge of Wilson's medical situation, which might really hurt his draft stock, Wilson is an exceptional player on tape. He is an overaged prospect and has very short arms for someone his height, but Wilson was one of the best defensive players in college football. He can play man coverage against tight ends and running backs and Wilson changes directions very well for someone his height and he also consistently makes plays on the ball as a coverage player. Wilson is a player you simply cannot miss on tape, even to the casual viewer. Hopefully his extensive medical history doesn't stand in his way.

#1 - Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M (6-2, 230 lbs.) - Cooper is a modern-day linebacker with good height, excellent length, and the range desired for coverage. His change of direction and burst to this target really stand out, but he can be a little slow to recognize things at this point of his development. Cooper also misses too many tackles and can play a little out of control. He is an effective blitzer and has a lot of upside to his game overall.

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