Tari Eason lives up to his contract with his defense alone

The Rockets may have taken a disappointing loss in their last game thanks to some inconsistent effort, but Tari Eason was not to blame. In fact, Eason proved his worth by sparking a huge run in the second quarter against the Suns with his defensive hustle alone.

Houston committed to Eason on a 5-year/$81 million extension in the offseason that gave some fans sticker shock. But his defensive impact can make the deal well worth its price when he’s disruptive like he was against the Suns. 

Eason can change a game with his defense 

The Rockets were struggling defensively to start Saturday’s game as Jalen Green regularly blew by defenders to finish at the rim. Houston’s lineup was flat-footed with Amen Thompson focused on guarding Devin Booker. Unsurprisingly, the fix was bringing in Eason for the slower Alperen Sengun.

With Eason in the game, the Rockets went on a 20-2 run that wiped out their early deficit. Eason’s defensive intensity, both as an on-ball defender and an off-ball disruptor, forced misses and turnovers. Those stops also generated more efficient offense, rather than settling for bad shots in the halfcourt.

Eason has continued to be one of the league’s best bench defenders this season. He’s earned a reputation as a rising 3-and-D wing for a reason, mostly predicated on his defense. Even if the outside shot remains inconsistent, Eason still helps the Rockets win his bench minutes.

Tari has been worth his contract so far

Eason’s offensive production so far this season hasn’t been very impressive. He’s only averaging 9 points per game while shooting 43% from the field and 25% from three. And yet he’s still been a positive for the Rockets.

His performance on Saturday was perhaps the most glaring example yet. Eason finished the game shooting just 1-of-8 for 2 total points, but was still the Rockets’ bench player. Even with that shooting dud, he still had one of the team’s best plus-minus numbers thanks to their defensive effort with him on the court.

Eason himself finished with 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block over 22 minutes. But his teammates also racked up plenty of each statistic during his minutes. The Rockets finished with 7 steals and 8 blocks, which helped keep the game close despite their poor shooting.

In many ways, the Rockets as a team played very much like Eason. Their offensive efficiency was poor, especially from 3-point range, but they made up the difference with defensive playmaking and relentless effort on the boards. In his sixth man role, those traits are often enough for Eason to make his presence felt and influence the outcome of games or even playoff series.

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