Tari Eason will force Rockets' hand after shocking playoff performance

With Game 2 approaching Tuesday, all the Houston Rockets can do till then is think about how they really missed Kevin Durant out there. This game featured all the important players outside of Durant, so the hope was to see who would step up and carry the load. Surprisingly, what was most notable from this game came from a player off the bench. This series was deemed a favorable matchup, and that is already being put to the test.

Tari Eason proved his worth in Game 1

Back in January, Rockets fans let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that Tari Eason was here to stay. In 60 games played this year (34 starts), Eason averaged 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, showing his worth as a rotational piece. So, as Game 1 came to an end, it was surprising to find ourselves questioning why Eason deserved to be leading the charge. Eason finished with a stat line of 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 7/7 from the field.

In a game like this, a lot of the load falls on a player like Alperen Sengun to drive the bus. Overall, it was a poor shooting night that led to Sengun being matched up with Deandre Ayton, who was a key piece in Houston’s loss. That poor shooting extended to the rest of the starters as well, between Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard. In seeing this, we can't help but wonder why they kept getting plays run for them while Eason was doing the opposite.

Will change be coming in this series?

This isn’t the first time Ime Udoka’s management of this roster and its rotation has come under question from fans. Durant’s sudden injury provided a chance for the Rockets to have their hand forced into testing the players who deserve bigger chances. But knowing when to play the hot hand is also essential. Especially when the Los Angeles Lakers unit had multiple pieces firing on all cylinders.

Luke Kennard had a playoff career-high 27 points on great shooting, and there’s potential that if Eason got more time, this nine-point loss could have been more of a game. Overall, asking theoreticals isn’t going to change anything; the game has already been played. The Rockets have a lot they need to think about before Game 2 tip-offs this coming Tuesday. This series is still young, and even with the injuries between both teams, it’s anyone's game.

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