Tari Eason's Defensive Skill Set Provides Strong Upside in First Round

Tari Eason doubled his scoring efficiency in his sophomore season, but his best abilities are on the defensive end of the floor.

Tari Eason just wreaks havoc.

He’s not the most offensively talented player in the draft, but his defense makes him a high-priority prospect in the middle of the first round.

Eason began his college career at Cincinnati before transferring to LSU to complete his collegiate career. The move to LSU took Eason’s game to new levels as he more than doubled his scoring average and improved every major statistical category.

Eason, a 6-foot-8 forward, is a defensive wizard with his long 7-foot-2 wingspan and large frame. Eason also has Kawahi Leonard-esque hands, which measured at 9 ¼ inches in length and 11 inches in width. The long arms and big hands led him to 1.9 steals per game and 1.1 blocks.

With his size and measurements, it’s easy to see why he wreaks havoc on defense and is a matchup nightmare for many teams and positions.

His shooting needs improvement, but he did score nearly 17 points per game as a sophomore at LSU and earned Sixth Man of the Year accolades in the SEC. He shot a little over 35% from 3-point-range last season, but on just 2.4 attempts per game.

Eason overhauled his shooting stroke between his freshman and sophomore campaigns but still utilizes an unconventional release point. However, most of his offensive threat comes on fastbreak dunks and on the interior.

Eason is projected between the end of the lottery and pick No. 18, outside of the Thunder’s No. 30 range and just outside of the Thunder’s No. 12 range. However, if the Thunder does decide to take Eason at No. 12, it wouldn’t be a significant reach, especially with the help he would provide.

Oklahoma City had a solid defense last season, and with Eason, it would take a large leap forward. Eason is also dominant on the boards, averaging 6.6 per game last season.

Eason could pair well with the Thunder rotation, which is in desperate need of forward depth and defensive help inside. While the Thunder have many different routes they could take with the No. 12 pick, Eason could definitely be on the list.

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