Shooting should be his biggest priority next off season. Other than that, he will be the perfect 3&D role player in future. I see multiple All-Defensive Team honours written all over him.
I see nothing about Eason to make me think he won’t be in the NBA for a decade or more. He’s just got it. Probably not a superstar, but he’s a glue guy that every good team needs.
He's a lock to be on the team. Thought he'd struggle a little bit and see some RGV duty but it took him all of 3 minutes to get acclimated and get 21/10. He looks better than Jaesean Tate already. Dude just fabricates steals. Sees angles for it that even the offense can't tell is there. That's the one thing that stood out to me the most during draft season and it's apparent here as well. People say he looks like Shawn Marion but he gives me more Kawhi Leonard vibes. Obviously not the offensive player Kawhi eventually became but that's what he has shades of.
Can't agree more. He has magnetic hands and wherever the ball is his hands somehow finds a way to them. He would be annoying to play against both on ball and off because the ball is never safe
I think people fixated on his negative AST-TO ratio, high energy, loose handles, and role without considering the context. They would see clips of Tari frenetically diving into the teeth of defenses trying to create something and call it low IQ. LSU lost their top 3 scorers to the draft. Tari was a transfer, tasked with being a spark off the bench and wrecking the game on both ends. Dude was basically a one man army. Highest usage on the team and led in almost every meaningful stat except assists.
I love Tari. I thought he would drop mostly for his shot form (this hasn't seemed to be a hindrance), NBA teams draft centers, and lack of perceived upside. Thanks go out to Wiz for drafting Davis, OKC for drafting Dieng, Pistons for Duren, Charlotte for Williams, and Cavaliers for Agbaji.
TBH, Tari Eason reminds me of.... Spoiler Corey Brewer! Don't laugh. I'd say he's the rich man's version. He is pure hustle and creator of chaos -- hopefully chaos mostly to the opponent and not his own team. If he has a reliable shot, he'll be our future starting 3 when we are a contender. Even if he doesn't, he'll be a fantastic energy guy off the bench.
I definitely see shades of pre-2015 Kawhi. The biggest question will be whether Eason can hit the 3 at a decent clip. If he can, he’s going to make a lot of money in the NBA.
Defensively, he reminds me of Trevor Ariza. Can guard 1-4. How lucky to have two versatile guys that can guard 1-4! Offensively, his passing is better than I expected. Very scrappy. Interesting to see how he performs against strong NBA forwards.
His ability to create was something that was intriguing in the pre draft process. Watching it in real time at the NBA level in the first pre season game of the year was exciting. That would be his best foray into being a "star" .. he is a good enough defender and his outside shot is solid.
He seems to be one of those players that is somehow in all the right places for defense and rebounding. He's not the highest jumper, yet somehow manages to tip the ball to himself multiple times on offensive rebounds. Also the way he just strips the ball from ball handlers so gracefully. What I really don't like about Tate or Beverley type of players is that they are too physical/out of control and foul randomly. Real great defenders like CP3, Kawhi etc will pick your pocket based on timing instead of aggression. I see that gracefulness in Tari.
My totally unproven conspiracy theory: It was a stealth rumor floated surreptitiously by the Rockets front office, designed specifically to allow Tari to drop 5 or 6 draft positions.
