The Houston Rockets may have high and just expectations of third overall selection Jabari Smith coming into this season, but it might behoove them to enter the season with an open mind in regards to the power forward spot.
Selected at 17th, Tari Eason has performed above expectations since Summer League, duplicating the insane per-minute production that he showed at LSU during his sophomore year.
“Summer League, Mort? Really?”
Alright, hear me out on this.
He’s averaging 17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals over five games, playing just 27.5 minutes per night. That’s at least a strong indicator of high statistical production.
That leads us into preseason, which after all is a higher level of competition, even if the setting is obviously not as crucial as when the games start to count.
However, 17.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals over the course of four games in just 23.8 minutes there.
But more importantly, he looks the part of a good NBA player, by getting involved in plays at an incredible high rate. If he’s not scoring, he’s rebounding or switching onto anyone he wants. When he is scoring, he’s putting a remarkable amount of pressure on the defense, by relentlessly attacking the rim, even off cuts and by going up for offensive rebounds.
This was always Eason’s path to the NBA: Get involved, and stay involved. You feel his presence constantly, on both sides of the court, making it exceedingly difficult for him to fail at the pro level.
Eason has too many strengths to overlook, and thus more alternatives to focus on, when one fails. He rebounds outside of his career, and projects to be an impactful glass cleaner at the NBA level. He racks up steals and blocks via the flow of the game, which he then turns into transition scoring opportunities. He’s fully capable of attacking the basket off his own dribble, or while being set up by others, and he’s got an incredible knack for drawing fouls.
Sure, there are questions about his long-term shooting, and he tends to foul too much, which is a result of his enthusiasm. But when has that ever not been a rookie trait?
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The shooting, somehow, still seems decent, despite a clunky release. He’s 12-of-32 (37.5%) from outside collectively in Summer League and preseason, which falls in line with his 35.9% from last season. If nothing else, this year is one for development, where Houston’s player development staff can iron out the links in his jumper.
Before the draft, I had Eason 2nd overall on my personal Big Board. No, that is not a typo. So you may wonder why I’ve kept bringing up the likes of Keegan Murray, Bennedict Mathurin, and Paolo Banchero as more obvious Rookie Of the Year candidates over Eason.
My main concern lies with the Rockets, where I’d fear Eason being put on the back burner due to the presence of Smith, who was obviously drafted much higher, and thus comes in with higher expectations.
Should head coach Stephen Silas however feel confident in providing 25-30 minutes per night for Eason, that changes my ROY projections considerably, even if Eason ranks as only the seventh-most likely to win the award.
The trade of Christian Wood does open up minutes overall, as second-year center Alperen Şengün is going to own that spot, and it allows Smith to also get some runs as a stretch-five when the situation demands it.
But, Eason still has to compete with Jae’Sean Tate, and Kenyon Martin Jr. for minutes, the latter of whom has asked for a trade, but has yet to receive one.
It would seem the most likely path towards minutes is a mid-season trade where the Rockets identify keepers, and send off pieces like Martin Jr. to open up minutes for those they deem good enough to warrant a long-term look.
Or, potentially more likely, Eason will continue to be a per-minute monster who changes the flow of the game whenever he takes the court, and makes it impossible for Silas and his coaching staff to justify a limited role for him.
As the year progresses, make a mental note to follow the on-court chemistry between Eason and Şengün, as the latter is already one of the finest, and most spectacular, center passers in all of basketball. There is a decent chance of seeing Eason lean into his off-ball cutting, and athleticism, allowing Şengün to set him up for backdoor cuts and lobs.
After years of James Harden pounding the ball into the pavement, Rockets basketball stands on the threshold of being fun again, which is no small matter for a rebuilding team looking to find a connection to their fan base.
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