Tari Eason is one of the NBA’s most underrated young players

Highlights

• Eason made a huge impact during his rookie campaign last season
• Despite limited playing time, he significantly impacts the game on both ends of the court
• Eason has evolved into a premier perimeter defender in his sophomore season

The NBA is currently in a golden period when it comes to young talent. Players such as Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama are accomplishing feats that have never been seen before.

Even on a lesser scale, teams such as the Houston Rockets are budding with skillful youth. Rising star Alperen Sengun is having an All-Star caliber season and is joined by prospects such as Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson. However, Houston is home to one of the most impactful players in the association: Tari Eason.

Eason has impacted winning since his rookie season

Eason was a member of the All-Rookie team last season

During the 2022-23 NBA season, the Rockets finished with a record of 22-59, cementing them the third-worst record in the league. The Oklahoma City Thunder were the only team younger than them last year, with an average age of 23.14 compared to the Rockets’ 23.58.

Although the focus was geared toward developing Smith, Sengun, and Green, it was Eason who emerged on the scene.

Out of the four players, Eason averaged the lowest playing time, at only 21.5 minutes per game. Despite not receiving the same amount of opportunities as his teammates, he was more impactful than any of them.

When guarded by Eason, the opponent’s effective field goal percentage would drop by 1.3 percent. The opposing team’s possessions would end in a turnover at an increased rate of +2.7 percent with Eason on the court.

His defensive impact can be supported by some of his stellar performances against the NBA’s best. In three games against Utah Jazz All-Star, Lauri Markannen, Eason held him to only two points on 25 percent shooting from the field. One of the players Eason matched up the most with was Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans and in the time he was guarded by the tenacious forward, he shot just 14.3 percent and scored four points.

In just his rookie season, Eason was holding his own against the best in the NBA, despite being on a team that was incredibly dysfunctional defensively, being the second-worst defensive team in the league.

Coming out of LSU, the main attraction of Eason’s game was his motor and willingness to do the dirty work. He proved through his impact during his rookie season the value he brings to winning and during his sophomore season he only expanded on his immense potential.

Eason had a sophomore season stride instead of a slump

The young star’s development is unlike his peers

The Rockets went through massive organizational changes this offseason. Stephen Silas was fired and former Boston Celtics coach, Ime Udoka, who led the Celtics to their first NBA Finals since 2010 in 2022, was crowned the new head coach.

Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks were major free-agent signings to help bolster this roster. The front office balanced out the roster with more veteran depth, adding Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green, who was fresh off helping the Denver Nuggets win an NBA championship.

One of the biggest points of critique with the Rockets last season was the lack of structure within the team. There was no accountability when players made bad plays, nobody to correct poor body language, and a clear separation from competing for the sake of the team and for individual gain, which many players were participating for the ladder.

From being the second-youngest team the season prior, the Rockets jumped up to the 14th-oldest team in the NBA. The changes made had a distinctive positive ripple effect on the young players, but nearly none more than Eason.

Eason made a significant jump in his defensive ability, evolving himself into one of the NBA’s premier perimeter defenders. He jumped into the 95th percentile with his impact on the opposing team’s points per possession at a rate of -9.1.

In terms of opponent eFG percentage, Eason ranks fifth as the opposition shoots 7.1 percentage points worse with Eason playing defense, putting him in the same realm statistically with the likes of OG Anunoby — who leads the league with -12.9 percent—of the New York Knicks.

The three-point shot is the most important shot in modern basketball. Being able to take away any opportunities from the opponent from beyond the arc is a prime asset that is hard to come by. There are three players who are above the rest with their defensive impact on three-point shooting.

Royce O’Neale leads the NBA in three-point defense forcing opponents to shoot -13.7 percent worse when guarded by him. Anunoby ranks second at -12.6 percent and in the third spot is none other than Tari Eason at -10.5 percent. The stellar play of the sophomore provides glimpses of a future great on the defensive end of the court.

“I had a young Kawhi Leonard, and (Tari) is the closest thing that reminds me of what Kawhi did back in the day … just in taking balls, and getting ones that other guys don’t get. Those are plays that ignite the team, give us a bunch of energy, and it gets him going, as well.”-Udoka on Eason’s impact on the Rockets

However, Eason’s fantastic season has been put on a hiatus due to a leg injury that he’s been suffering with since the preseason. The last game he played was against the Detroit Pistons, and at the time, the Rockets were 16-15, with the third-best defense in the NBA and a +4.1 point differential.

Since Eason’s injury, the Rockets are currently sitting with a record of 25-32, and are the ninth-best defense with a point differential of -3.1. Houston’s success is directly tied to the value Eason brings to their team.

Throughout NBA history, there have been many instances that prove the importance of an elite defender to a team. The acquisition of Rasheed Wallace for the Pistons in 2004 was the x-factor in propelling them to become NBA champions. The Celtics acquired Derrick White in 2022, giving them the perimeter defense needed to give them an NBA Finals berth. Even in the current NBA season, we’ve seen the drastic impact Anunoby has had on the success of the Knicks, turning them into a legit contender when healthy.

The Houston Rockets are far from being a contender currently, but Tari Eason is one of the best in the world at what he does, and will only get better in the coming years.