The Houston Rockets opened their preseason on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs, giving fans their first look at highly touted rookie Jabari Smith Jr. since summer league.

Smith delivered an impressive performance to lead Houston to a 134-96 victory. The 19-year-old finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and two assists, displaying the talent that was expected of him when the Rockets drafted him No. 3 overall.

The Auburn product was efficient in 24 minutes, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 5-of-8 from three-point range. He also showed off the two-way effort that had scouts projecting him to be a difference-maker on both offense and defense.

Fans and pundits on social media couldn't help but to praise Smith for his performance on Sunday, with many believing he lived up to the hype.

Since tearing down their roster, the Rockets have been mired in a rebuild for the past two years. While Houston faces an uphill battle in the talented Western Conference, it's clear that Smith is the type of player who can help lead the team to success in the future.

After Sunday's performance, Rockets fans have every reason to be excited about Smith being one of the franchise cornerstones.