I don't know if you'd want Eason to start in place of Jabari. As others have said, Eason has become an important offensive weapon off the bench, which may be more valuable than having him play more of a complementary role in the starting lineup. Also, he'd be expending all his energy going up against starting power forwards, most of whom are bigger than him. (Though those PFs would have to deal with his frenetic energy too.) For example, Jabari spent almost all of his minutes in the Detroit game defending Tobias Harris, containing him for much of the game. Not sure having Eason take on that kind of responsibility every night is the best use of his talents.
Any decent coach would stagger the minutes. Tari is a star Im not gonna force him to be a 6th man. You guys are crazy lol
One thing Eason doesn’t do well is attack the basket after a closeout or one on one dribble drive. He is slow off the dribble so when he gets fronted he goes into a post up move. DB is quicker off the dribble and gives the Rockets another look when he attacks the rim. Besides they don’t play the same position. Tari is the backup 4. There’s no one else on the team besides unk Jeff that can fill that spot. Udoka plays him with the second unit mainly alongside Reed and Amen and I think he likes that combination of him and Amen wreaking havoc with that second unit. Tari has played in lineups with Brooks to a lesser extent. I think because of these reasons Tari is a backup. Now you can make the argument he should start over Bari. That would be a very interesting discussion. But I think it comes down to who plays best with whom and Tari and Amen 1-2 defensive wrecking crew is best together at this point
How can you even argue that balancing the starting lineup is not as important as one player scoring off the bench? Not even remotely close in terms of impact. We don’t have a depth problem, and he will be replaced by one of the best bench players in the entire NBA in Dillon Brooks. When the starters play better, you don’t need to rely on the bench as much. Tari has aced this role. That’s our queue to promote him. You don’t hold him back because of a hypothetical projection about a secondary problem. The only thing in his way right now is Brooks who is earning that starting spot. I think he knows full well Tari is on his heels.
I know the thread is about Eason at 3, but I was responding to those who want Eason to replace Jabari Smith at 4. And as for Eason replacing Brooks at 3, I wouldn't do that either. But I don't see it as a matter of promotion. Yes, the starting lineup has its warts, but they have been pretty good so far on most nights. Plus, Udoka I think sees FVV and Brooks as much needed veteran presence in the starting five, which I think is the right move. Second, having Eason and Thompson coming off the bench has been incredibly effective and disruptive, obviously. If the starting lineup can play the opposing starters at a somewhat even level, Eason and Thompson can step in and continue to do major damage against the opposing backups. (Their energy and this strategy are reminding me a little of what Kyle Lowry and Carl Landry used to do for the Rockets during the Adelman era.) Anyways, who starts doesn't matter that much to me, as long as Udoka is able to manage minutes of the core guys in the way he has and get them all to buy in.
Third-year forward Tari Eason went for 18 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, as the Rockets rallied from a second-half deficit in Sunday's 101-99 victory (box score) at Detroit. The Pistons fell to 4-7, while Houston improved to 6-4 with the win. The Rockets were +7 as a team during Eason's efficient 27 minutes, which included a 7-of-12 shooting line (58.3%) and two makes in four attempts from 3-point range (50.0%). He also had 9 rebounds and several key defensive plays, including a blocked 3-pointer in a frantic closing minute. Yet again, Eason forced his way into the closing lineup of head coach Ime Udoka, who removed Jabari Smith Jr. at power forward to make room. It was another rough game for Smith, who finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds on 2-of-8 shooting (25.0%), and the Rockets were -12 in his 26 minutes played. But, in large part due to the insurance policy provided by Eason — who, as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2022 first round, was actually drafted 14 spots later than Smith at No. 3 — Houston won for a fifth time in seven games. In many respects, it was a similar second-half spark to the one Eason provided when scoring a career-high 27 points earlier this month versus Golden State, which helped Houston flip a 31-point deficit into an eventual lead before falling in overtime.
Tari is a small forward. Whether you start him or not he will excel at Sf. People are underestimating Jabari’s total skillset as a PF. He is having a terrible start and his confidence is obviously shaken. He is still playing good defense and rebounding, in spite of what so many fake fans are hoping. If he never recovers a semblance of a good 3 pt shot, then you trade him. Giving up on a 21 year old that averaged 8 rebounds and shot 36% from three in his second year is beyond stupid.
I’m discussing a Tari-Brooks swap. I have no issues with Jabari but also I’m not more interested in Jabari just because he was picked higher or he’s slightly younger. If Tari beats him out he’s more than capable of handling the rebounds and stocks expected of our PF. I see him as a hybrid forward. IMO the way things will go is Tari will replace brooks and then Amen will replace one of Bari/Tari when we’re clear about which has a safer future. From the 4 spot we just need an elite role player, whoever can guarantee that is going to take the role. We’re not in the phase anymore when we can give the kids years to prove themselves. 1.5 years under Udoka is plenty of time for me to make an assessment and you’re talking to the king of “don’t judge a player too early”. If Jalen Green doesn’t have his interior scoring ish together by mid season, bench him too. Waffling for half a season is not what a western playoff team does. Just can’t afford or sustain it.
You know if they are serious that this is year 2 of Phase 2, then the hand holding is not really for our benefit as much as it is a crutch for Udoka. FVV can be vet presence with starters. Brooks with bench unit. We’re losing nothing. FVV organizes things. Tari brings the energy. We need this mix of intangibles. For me it matters very much who starts. Nothing to do with who is better, but who fits better tactically. Tactics have to take precedence over hand holding this season imo. If you’re not removing the training wheels because you’re afraid of a shaky new start, you’ll never remove the wheels. The fact that it’s a minor adjustment afterwards is not a sufficient argument to hold back superior lineups. It’s time guys. Brooks can not handle high pace. Sengun, FVV and Brooks are in a silo to protect the veterans careers. Sengun does not need to be in that silo.
Fake fans are those that ignore a full season of data in favor of 10 games to feed their narrative. Fake fans are those hoping a 21 year old fails to feed their narrative. Fake fans are those that pit players on the same team against each other just to be right on a fan forum. The fact of the matter is. the Rockets need Jabari’s spacing, defense, and rebounding at the PF position. He improved from year 1 to year 2. If he takes a step back this year, then you can consider a change not 10 games into a season. The only logical change is to move Brooks to the bench for Amen or Tari. Somehow we need to maximize the time Jalen, Amen, Tari, Jabari, and Sengun have on the court together, because they are the core upon which we are building and we need to find out who to pay and who to trade. FVV and Brooks helped turn around our culture and are still good veteran players, but they should gradually see their roles diminish as we prepare for the future of which they almost certainly will not be a part of. It is much more likely that Jabari and Tari are part of our future than Dillon Brooks.
Dillon is playing pretty good this year. He is rebounding a bit better and he has brung a lot of energy. It is more about who he is holding back than how he is playing. Amen and Tari are both key to our future and need to be on the court playing with our other starters and with each other. Both FVV and Brooks are an impediment to that and the sooner we make the transition the faster we are going to be truly competitive. It will be nice to make the playoffs this year and inevitable get bumped in the first round, but not at the expense of developing Jabari, Tari, and Amen who we have to find about before their contracts are in question. Not only that, having Amen guarding the best starting perimeter player from the get go will set the tone for the rest of the game. Never let SGA, Doncic, Brunson go off. Take them out of their rhythm right from the start. Brooks is a good defensive player against certain archetypes, but not quick perimeter players. People see his hustle and grit and project this defensive Demi-god image on him, but if you watch closely you will see how often he gets beat off the dribble and/or commits stupid fouls. You are also giving up 4 rebounds a game if you bench Jabari in favor of him. We are already a poor defensive rebounding team.
