Tari Eason is quietly unlocking the Rockets' championship potential

The Houston Rockets, through their first 10 games, have come out of the gate on a scorching offensive streak that has caught many around the NBA by surprise.

Yet, as good as their starters, including offseason acquisition Kevin Durant, have been so far this season, bench forward Tari Eason has quietly become one of the team's most important players yet again, shaking off his rusty start and becoming the bona-fide two-way performer that Houston needs.

While Eason's defense has taken a bit of a dip in the earliest portions of the season, he seems poised to take another major leap on offense, and any advancement in his play could turn out to be one of the keys to championship contention for the Rockets this season.

Once Tari Eason's defensive impact returns, he could make Houston the deepest team in the league

Following an offseason that saw Eason ultimately decline to sign his rookie extension, guaranteeing his restricted free agency at the end of this year, it certainly seemed as though whatever transpired was still weighing on him when the season began.

Through his first two games, Eason only averaged 3.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and one assist while shooting an abysmal 27.3% from the floor.

Yet, since that time, he has returned to the dynamic form that Rockets' fans are used to seeing him in, averaging 14.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 55.1% from the floor over his last eight games.

Moreover, when he scored 20 points in just 20 minutes against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, Eason delivered another handy reminder of just how important his performance is to the team's continued offensive viability throughout the duration of games.

Not only does he provide an additional slashing and scoring force when players such as Amen Thompson are off the court, he has shot 53.1% from 3-point range this season, diversifying his offensive arsenal and providing an unexpected dose of spacing to Houston's offense when needed.

The Rockets, in theory, are one of the deepest teams in the league, with Steven Adams, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith (when he returns) waiting in the wings to dominate defensively. Yet, the team's depth, in truth, revolves around the two-way play of Eason and his ability to keep the bench rotations offensively viable in spite of the various spacing concerns they present.

While his steals, blocks and defensive box plus-minus have all taken a significant dip so far this season, it is only a matter of time before Eason finds his stride in that regard as well, and, when he does, he will only heighten his effectiveness on the court.

As easy as it is to get caught up in the star-studded chemistry of Durant and Alperen Sengun, every championship-contending team needs a player (or players) like Eason, and his sneakily efficient performances could be the extra boost that ultimately propels Houston closer to their championship dreams this season.