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

The player comparison game can be exhausting. For several seasons, the entirety of NBA fandom had to hear about how Brandon Ingram was going to become the next Kevin Durant because he was a tall, skinny player who has a knock-down midrange game.

Seven seasons in, I think most of us have seen just how shallow that comparison can be.
It's not that it's necessarily wrong to do so.

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

The issue is the weight of expectations that we as a fandom can place on a player because of a similar body type, athleticism, or play style. Hoping a talented young player becomes the next version of one of the best players in the modern era is most often setting them and yourself up for failure and disappointment.

That being said, there are times when a comparison is just too tantalizing to avoid, especially when it comes from the player directly.

One realistic comparison for Eason

A little over a month ago, Kelly Iko from the Athletic published his Q&A with Rockets' second year forward, Tari Eason. In it, Iko asked Eason about the amount of film that he watches on his own and if there are any others that he's studied.

You might have expected someone like an OG Anunoby or his new teammate, Dillon Brooks, as they are elite-level role players with similar 3&D capabilities to what Eason showed in his rookie season.

What he actually said is worlds more interesting:

"This summer I’ve watched a lot of film. Watched a lot of Jimmy Butler, little bit of Kawhi Leonard."

Tari Eason in Q&A with Kelly Iko

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.

2. Eason's leadership skills correlate to Butler's

If there is a superstar whose game you want guys like Eason to be following closely, guys like Jimmy Butler and Kawhi are right there at the top of the top. Butler especially fits the bill because of his somehow amicable and hard-nosed attitude that appeals more to the kind of leader you can see Tari becoming down the road.

The main difference between the two, when it comes to their personalities, is the locker room polarity. We already know from his Instagram Live feeds, the way he carries himself on the court, and the words of the man himself, that Tari is a fun-loving guy who looks to lead by example.

He brings people together and his mere presence fosters a fun environment that will stop at nothing to win.

He's already been typecast as a role player because of his skillset and how crowded this Rockets lineup is with veterans and hopeful stars and maybe that's what his NBA career will amount to. He might just be an electric role player that pushes every team he's on toward winning.

But, he just might be the kind of player that's able to transcend his limitations and elevate himself into superstardom by sheer force of will.

Like I said at the beginning, it can be dangerous for our expectations to start comparing young players to the best guys in the league. Tari probably won't ever be Jimmy or Kawhi, and that's ok.

But the hope is, by following their games while he continues to grow into his own, that he will be able to work himself into the star version of himself.

So to answer the question, "is Tari Eason the next Jimmy Butler?" Who knows? Probably not. But, I can say with full confidence he'll be THE Tari Eason, and that is going to mean something someday.