One Area Tari Eason Can Improve on Next Season for the Houston Rockets

When the Houston Rockets first drafted Tari Eason No. 17 overall in the 2022 draft, they were hoping they were drafting a tough-minded player who could help improve the Rockets' lackluster defense. Eason played two seasons in college, playing one year with the Cincinnati Bearcats and one season with the LSU Tigers.

During Eason's rookie season, the Rockets knew they had a steal, as Eason not only became one of the better players on the young Rockets but also one of the top players in the entire 2022 draft. Eason was one of the top players in the league when it came to steals per game and also points per minute.

Eason also showed that he was a reliable 3-point shooter as he finished the season shooting a respectable 34.3%. Eason played in all 82 games, averaging 9.3 points, six rebounds and over a steal a game. Eason became one of the most reliable players on the team, even though it was his first season.

During Eason's second season, he only played in 22 games as he dealt with a lower leg injury all season that eventually led to a season-ending surgery. Coming into the 2024-25 season, the Rockets realized they had to ease Eason back into the rotation.

Eason played in only 57 games and only one game of back-to-backs, but when he was on the court, he picked up where he left off from his rookie season. Eason finished with a career high in points, rebounds, steals and field goal percentage.

Before Amen Thompson moved into the starting lineup permanently, Thompson and Eason formed one of the best bench duos in the NBA. They were given the name "Terror Twins" and gave the Rockets two lockdown defenders coming off the bench.

Eason continued to come off the bench the rest of the season, and even though he and the Rockets came up short against the Golden State Warriors, it was a successful season overall for Eason and the Rockets. Going into next season, the Rockets are looking to improve on their 52-win season, and to do that, players like Tari Eason will need to improve their overall game. In the next installment of our series, we take a look at what Eason needs to improve on next season.

Become a Better Ball Handler and Distributer.

As mentioned earlier in the article, despite missing a handful of games, Eason had a career year, but there is one area he can still improve in. Eason knows only one speed, and that is going all out every single play. Most of the time, that works out well for him and the Rockets, but at times, it can cause issues.

For instance, on fastbreaks, Eason can sometimes have tunnel vision and drive into a crowd that results in a turnover or a bad shot. Eason did see a slight uptick in assists per game, but he will need to get his teammates more involved when he is on the court.

Eason averaged 1.5 assists per game, and even though he won't be a primary ball handler, it will help the Rockets moving forward if he can become more of a connector and not a ball stopper. Eason has proven he is one of the most valuable players on the team, whether it's coming off the bench or starting. Eason will play a significant role next season for the Rockets as they look to take the next step in 202-25.