Kofi Inkoom
Tari Eason, the 21-year-old forward who is entering his second season in the NBA, has a clear vision of his future: he wants to be the best defender in the league.
Eason, who was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft, has expressed some lofty goals of his own, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.
“I want to be the best defender in the NBA at some point,” Eason said. “I truly believe I can be. I will be. I just got to work, and the rest will fall into place. As far as effort and taking pride on that end of the floor, that’s kind of my calling card. I want to be the best defender I can be.”
Eason will need to draw inspiration from Dillion Brooks, who was acquired by the Rockets from the Memphis Grizzlies in a summer trade.
Brooks, who declared just last month that he believes he holds the title of the NBA’s best defensive player, isn’t the sole Rockets player exuding a high level of confidence in their defensive prowess.
Despite finishing last season with the NBA’s poorest record, the Rockets are now diligently prioritizing the improvement of their defense.
This shift in focus is under the leadership of their newly appointed head coach, Ime Udoka, along with his coaching staff.
Udoka, formerly an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets, has introduced an innovative defensive strategy that underscores the importance of communication, accountability, and adaptability.
Eason has noticed a difference in training camp.
“There are still some things we got to fully hash out, but I think we’re getting there,” Eason said. “The strides were made as far as communication. Last year, a lot of our defensive deficiencies come from us not being able to communicate, which also comes from us being young. With the mix of veterans and I guess the mentality coming in this year — we’ve all bought into the system — defensively we took a lot of leaps in terms of communication, knowing where to be and a willingness to want to get better on that end of the floor.”
Eason showed some flashes of his defensive potential in his rookie season, averaging 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game.
He also displayed his athleticism and versatility on offense, scoring 9.3 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and 34.6 percent from three-point range.
In his first preseason game with the Rockets on Tuesday night, Eason had a solid performance against the Indiana Pacers, recording 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, eight rebounds , 2 assists and a block in 21 minutes off the bench. He helped the Rockets secure a 122-103 win at Toyota Center.
Eason is expected to play a significant role for the Rockets this season, as they look to rebuild their roster with young talent and develop a new identity under Udoka.