Rockets: 2 reasons Tari Eason compares to a future Hall of Famer

1. Butler and Eason's stories are eerily similar

Jimmy Butler represents that kind of superstar who is not born out of pedigree but of sheer force of will. The Houston area native started his collegiate career at the modest Tyler Junior College.

He would eventually mold himself into a Division-1 talent and find himself being taken 30th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2011.

He began his NBA career as a defensive specialist who had little impact statistically on the offensive end of the floor. Though he still does not boast a gaudy stat sheet, he has become of the league's premier players, with a stellar reputation as a defender, playmaker, and clutch scorer.

Above all those things, what really sets Butler apart is his relentless motor and doglike mentality.

It sounds idealistic to compare Eason to Butler in their current manifestations, but it doesn't require much stretching of the imagination to see a similar path to stardom for Tari. This especially holds true when you consider how similar the beginnings of their journeys have been.

Eason cut his teeth at Cincinatti before transferring to LSU for his sophomore season. He played a unique role in Baton Rouge to say the least.

He was clearly the best player on the team, but was willing to come off the bench in the Sixth Man role to aid the Tigers' lack of bench depth. Like Butler, he was a flawed prospect who earned his first-round status with an unmatched work ethic and desire to do whatever was necessary to win.

As a member of the Association, Eason has shown much of the same. Even though he struggled to finish at the rim and make the timely pass, it was impossible to keep him off the floor. His ability to steal possessions at will by pickpocketing his opponents and grabbing an insane amount of offensive rebounds for a wing caught many analytics sites and media members' attention.