Rockets Rookie Tari Eason 'Loves The Grimy Stuff'

Tari Eason ranks among the best rookie rebounders in the NBA. Have the Houston Rockets found a keeper?

Jeremy Brener | Mar 3, 2023

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets may be the league's worst team, but not all is lost in their 13-49 campaign.

Rookie forward Tari Eason has proven himself to be one of the bright spots for the young Rockets, specifically as a rebounder. He ranks sixth among all rookies in rebounding (5.7 per game) despite standing just 6-8 and playing about 20 minutes per game. Those ahead of him in rebounding all stand 6-10 or taller.

ESPN columnist Zach Lowe included Eason's rebounding among the things he likes in his weekly "10 Things" column.

"Eason loves the grimy stuff," ESPN writes. "He is, remarkably, eighth in offensive rebounding rate. The top 20 is basically centers and Eason. (Eason is shooting a dismal 56% at the rim, and a nontrivial share of those offensive rebounds are him retrieving his own bonked layups.)

"Some wings snare offensive boards because they are fast and sneaky -- zipping along the baseline when defenders aren't looking. If larger humans meet them at the rim, they wilt."

However, that isn't the case with Eason, who acts bigger than his 6-8 frame.

"Eason combines speed with bruising power and vise-grip hands," ESPN writes. "He invites bigger guys to challenge him in midair, and he outworks and outmuscles them."

As the season draws to a close, Eason's growth is one of the primary storylines for the team. He's grabbed at least six rebounds in every game since the All-Star Break and the Rockets hope there is more growth in the final 20 games.

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Published Mar 3, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.