I like him most among the batch of "rim protectors" mainly because he displayed a pretty nice 3 point touch during drills in the combine and has great length and explosion around the rim with some ability to defend in space and offer switchability. I do this with the intent of playing Paolo Banchero at the 3, Sengun at 4 and Koloko at 5.
Good for us that teams with picks before ours aren't high on him. He's not a star in the making, but he has the makings of a elite role player. And that's what We need. We have enough offense, especially if We pick Paolo. What We don't have is a big athletic defensive wing, which is exactly what Eason is. Ideal size and enormous wingspan, huge hands and an aggressive defender willing to do the dirty work. His shot needs work, but I'm confident he can be serviceable from the corners. He just needs to be able to hit the open corner 3's and cut to the rim when neccessary, and that's it. His real value lies in his defense and hustle, and We need guys like that to pluck the rest of the holes in our roster. I would be ecstatic if he falls to us. Imagine what our defense would look like with JC, Tari and Garuba starting the second quarters. Tons of ball pressure, deflections and steals...
Rockets just need to take Eason with their 2nd first rounder. No brainer. https://www.tankathon.com/players/c...ieng--tari-eason--jeremy-sochan--marcus-smart Hope this drops him to #17. Rockets desperately need his chaos defense.
Hollinger, and a number of scouts, don't think Eason can play the 3-spot. Not sure why. We'd know a little more Eason had clocked an agility time at the combine. All we were able to confirm is his terrific size. For me, Eason is a guy that can play that small forward position and at that spot, he adds so much value as a rebounder and defender. The Rockets need that and an infusion of athleticism. But if you're playing him at the power forward position, I think he'll struggle to make his mark. I guess it all depends on his quickness.
Getting him makes me wonder about Tate and KMJ's future with the Rockets. He could definitely slide over to 4 in a small ball situation or maybe even the 5.
If one does not see Eason a a 3, I can understand someone's hesitation with him. The idea with Eason though is that 6'8" big wing defender you can put on the best wing scorer. This is the guy you put on Jayson Tatum, Kawhi, Paul George, LeBron etc.
KMJ needs to improve his P/R and perimeter defense and become consistent at it. I know he doesn't have the best length, but he’s more than quick enough. His jumper needs improvement too. Blocking shots is astonishing, it's just not enough.
I did because as a sf , you should be able to create a shot off the dribble. If after a few years you can't dribble, that means you're not working on your game. As a player, you should constantly work on your weakness. The Kawai we see now isn't the one we saw when he was 1st drafted. He worked on his game and didn't just become a spot up shooter.
I agree with your assessment on Eason's value and limited upside based largely on his 3 ball. It's interesting that he's getting so much buzz from Rocket fans while some other prospects I'd be just as happy to get aren't being discussed as much. I do think his fit with Paolo is pretty intriguing though. I can see Paolo being sort of a defensive 4/offensive 3, while Eason could be a good candidate to be the opposite.
We are talking about a draftee projected to be picked in the mid round. We are not talking about an NBA veteran. We don't know whether he will develop a shot off the dribble. He is not projected to be a star. And as I gave a couple of examples, there are plenty of very good 3&D players who never had a good shot off the dribble. That's what separates role players from star players. (Ariza kind of tried his first time as a Rockets, thinking he was replacing TMac. We all know how disastrous that was.)
Really enjoying the negative/luke warm/cautionary reviews. Eason is not meant to be 1st or even 3rd option offensively. But he would immediately be Rockets best stopper defensively. Unlike Rockets, most teams already have a defensive stopper or three, so hoping Eason free falls to Rockets 2nd FRP.
You don't have to be a star to ease the holes in your game. I'm saying when Kawaii was drafted at 14, he wasn't projected to be the kawaii we see now. All drafted players have room for improvement, but it doesn't mean they will be a star. Siakam isn't Steph with the handle, but his handle got better since he came in the nba. A team like the Rockets shouldn't be drafting guys in the 1st rd and thinking they're only specialist.
