Tari Eason can BALL!

The defensive end of the floor was never going to be an issue for Tari Eason. Coming out of LSU, the 6’8″ wing was debatably the [most complete defensive prospect](https://flight.beehiiv.net/v2/clicks/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uYmFkcmFmdGp1bmtpZXMuY29tL3RhcmktZWFzb24iLCJwb3N0X2lkIjoiNmZiNmM5N2EtMDhkMC00ZjAyLWI3MTgtZTdlYWIyZmIyMDJiIiwicHVibGljYXRpb25faWQiOiJlMzg3YTA5NC1kMWU1LTQyZDktOWUwMS05MjU4NDhlNWUwZWEiLCJ2aXNpdF90b2tlbiI6IjIyNjQ5NDEzLWExNDgtNGVlZi1iNDc1LWM3N2NmNGQ4MmQ3ZiIsImlhdCI6MTY2NTQxMDk1OC44MDksImlzcyI6Im9yY2hpZCJ9.p2frHcCwc5M6HLJjlfhxoRWdQ2ZgQh_jjG5TnMoROgE) in the 2022 NBA Draft, so his five recorded stocks (steals + blocks) and eighteen rebounds in two preseason games don’t come as a surprise. A high-level, efficient scorer certainly isn’t the role anyone envisioned for [Eason](https://enjoybasketball.beehiiv.com/p/rookies-impressing-preseason) in his rookie season, so watching him shoot 17/28 and 3/6 from 3PT in his first two preseason games has [raised some eyebrows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC5BrcR_LNI&t=1s), to say the least. 

With Eason, the Rockets followed the draft strategy of “take a good basketball player,” and it shockingly appears to be working yet again. Eason will stay in the NBA for a long time due to his defensive versatility and motor. If he can fully unlock his offensive abilities, specifically his ball handling and some sort of controlled creation proficiency, his falling out of the lottery could be a head-scratcher in about 2026. Plugging in Eason alongside Alperen Sengun could make for a pretty entertaining young front court in Houston for years to come.