The Houston Rockets have one of the most interesting rosters in the NBA landscape. They have a lot of depth, consisting of a young core that supports a solid starting lineup with a mix of rising stars and talent that can win now.
The young players have to fight to continue to get playing time because once the established veterans are at their best, there simply isn’t enough playing time for the young players.
The Rockets’ “best-kept secret,” however, is a young forward on the bench, according to Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, who looked at the best secret weapon on every NBA roster. According to Hughes, Tari Eason is a player to keep an eye on next season.
The selection of Eason comes with a handful of other strong candidates, as the Rockets have a great depth of players and numerous other weapons on the bench alone.
“The Houston Rockets added several key players – both young and established – to the 2023-24 roster,” Hughes wrote. “Amen Thompson impressed with his athleticism and versatility, Dillon Brooks snarled at his superstar opponents, Fred VanVleet kept the ship on course and Cam Whitmore shined off the bench.”
With the roster changes, Eason got a little lost in the crowd. It’s easy for a player to fall out of the rotation when so much talent comes in. After playing 82 games and starting five times in his rookie season, Eason’s chances dropped significantly last season.
“Thanks to this flood of new talent and the injuries that limited him to just 22 games, Tari Eason completely disappeared from the scene,” Hughes continued. “As long as he returns to full health, the rugged forward won’t be forgotten for long.”
With the Rockets developing a certain defensive identity last season, Eason fits seamlessly into the rotation due to his abilities in this phase of the court.
“As a rookie, Eason was an absolute menace on defense, posting a 91 percent D-EPM, ranking in the 93rd and 98th percentiles among forwards in block and steal rates, and recording 3.3 deflections per 36 minutes, a number that ranks just outside the top 10 among players who played at least as many minutes as he did,” Hughes wrote.
One thing you can’t teach in basketball is grit. Eason brings just that and could be a boost for a playoff-hopeful Rockets team, who are hoping to make their first postseason appearance since trading away James Harden.
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