Inside The Rockets

Houston Rockets: Tari Eason's Year-Three Outlook

After an injury plagued season for Tari Eason last year, the Houston Rockets' forward looks to bounce back and build on his promising rookie campaign in 2022 as the team hopes to make a massive leap in the standings this season.

Amsal Madhani

Dec 29, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) reacts after a call during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) reacts after a call during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Houston Rockets selected forward Tari Eason with the No. 17 pick back in 2022, and he showed many flashes of what he can bring to the team in his rookie season.

At 6-foot-8, 215-pounds with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Eason has proven the capabilities of being a matchup nightmare on the defensive end in his young career.

In 2022, the lengthy forward averaged 6.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. His combination of size and strength also proved to be a plus on the offensive side of the ball as he averaged 9.3 points per game on around 45% shooting from the field, and 34% from the three-point line, earning him an All-Rookie second team nod.

Although it was a small sample size, Eason followed up his strong rookie year by improving in nearly every statistical category last season. He jumped to 9.8 points on 46% shooting, 36% from three, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in 22 outings.

Despite his absence in 60 games last season, Eason has shown enough on the court to be one of the key pieces for the Rockets as they move forward past their rebuild and into their playoff window.

Houston has shown a heavy pattern of wanting to acquire pesky, lengthy forwards who can play both ends of the floor at a high level and play heavy minutes, especially since the hiring of head coach Ime Udoka.

With Jabari Smith Jr., Dillon Brooks, Cam Whitmore, Jae'Sean Tate, Jeff Green, Eason and even at times Amen Thompson rounding out its forward group, the team has emphasized that it wants its identity to be its hard hitting, gritty play on the defensive end.

That's where Eason fits in very well with this squad. His ability to guard all five positions on the floor while being able to attack the boards allows the Rockets to play him in several on-the-fly lineups.

His potential and fit popped out in the advanced stats last season, specifically when he was on the floor with Thompson.

Although they played just 72 minutes together, this duo showed promising flashes of the havoc they could cause on the defensive end. If Eason can continue the trend of increasing his stocks (steals and blocks) numbers, Houston can once again have one of the best defenses in the NBA.

You also can't count out the forward's play on offense, as he's been hovering around the 35% mark from the three-point line so far in his career. With the spacing, rebounding and menacing defense Eason provides, the Rockets may have a matchup nightmare on their hands heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

Published
Amsal Madhani
AMSAL MADHANI

Amsal is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's in Journalism and a Minor in Business. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas and specializes in coverage of the Houston Rockets.

Home/News