Tari Eason's refreshing performance makes his role with the Rockets crystal clear

The Houston Rockets have finally won a game after a brutal 0-2 start. Among the many contributing factors, a bounce-back performance from Tari Eason was one of the biggest.

The biggest? Competition level. This isn’t complicated. One glance at the Nets’ roster will tell you who was favored to win this one. The Nets roster Cam Thomas, Michael Porter Jr., Cam Thomas, and a platoon of rookies and sophomores.

Forget about that. This is the National Basketball Association. Any team can beat any team on any given night. The Rockets needed their guys to step up:

And Eason did exactly what.

Rockets’ Tari Eason gives vintage performance

Eason had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 8/12 from the field. It was open season for him against Brooklyn. Eason was creating his own shots like a star player.

It was quite the departure from the season he’s been having. After this contest, Eason’s stats on the season have risen to 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game with a -2.1 Box Plus/Minus (BPM). Given how lackluster those stats look, you can imagine how bad they were in a two-game sample size before this contest.

Ultimately, that’s the main point. The Rockets are three games into the 2025-26 season. Nothing is particularly meaningful yet. Still, Eason proved one significant point against the Nets:

The Rockets need him to show up.

Rockets rely on Eason’s production

Granted, they don’t need 22 points from him.

That’s not necessarily Eason’s game. He is a capable scorer. Eason has developed a nice midrange fadeaway that he can use reliably. Still, Eason self-creation isn’t going to be a staple in the Rockets’ diet.

Yet, he can’t go for three points either. The Rockets need a certain level of tertiary scoring for Eason. It’s a balancing act. He needs to score, but he needs to do it within the flow of the offense. In 2025, nobody can afford to put an offensive liability on the floor.

Eason will always make his hay on the defensive end of the floor, and on the offensive glass. He’s one of the most prolific extra possession creators in the NBA. That’s enough reason to put him on the floor as long as he’s hitting open shots.

So, Monday’s contest will ideally serve as a reset. We know Eason is capable of more than he’d given the Rockets over his first two 2025-26 contests. Here’s hoping he starts giving it to them consistently:

That’s what they need from him the most.