HOUSTON — Good news for the Houston Rockets: More defensive firepower is on its way. Forward Tari Eason is slated to make his season debut this Wednesday as the Rockets take on the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center. Udoka mentioned Eason's possible return to the court during Tuesday's practice.
“It looks like [Eason] is going to play in the 15 minute-ish range,” he said, per Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire.
Eason has been out with a stress fracture dating back to October 22nd, the final game of the preseason against the Miami Heat. Oddly enough, the Rockets' defensive rating ranks 13th in the league without him. The offense? It's a different story.
Without the services of Dillon Brooks, Alperen Sengun or Fred VanVleet on the court, Houston's bench has been struggling to make baskets. Outside of the starting lineup, the rest of the rotation has hardly any reliable scoring options available outside of Jae'Sean Tate, Jeff Green and rookie Amen Thompson.
Thompson suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain during a win over the Charlotte Hornets on November 1st, leaving the Rockets without another playmaker. Luckily, Aaron Holiday has been able to pick up the slack. Having Eason back available to play even for a small amount of time is huge for Houston. An athletic forward capable of facilitating during fast breaks, playing off-ball and guarding multiple positions is right in Udoka's wheelhouse when it comes to overall versatility and defensive engagement.
Tari Eason's impact on the court
In his rookie season, Tari Eason averaged 9.3 points with 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 21.6 minutes, earning All-Rookie Second Team honors. His second appearance at Summer League action in July was unfair, as he played like a seasoned veteran among rookies and undrafted players. A surefire glue guy with All-Defense aspirations, the Rockets are more than happy to have him back on the roster, especially with Los Angeles coming to town.
The Lakers strengths are playing inside the paint. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis at the helm, Los Angeles' size will surely pose a challenge for Houston. In back-to-back blowout wins over the De'Aaron Fox-less Sacramento Kings, the only player who appeared to have an edge on the Rockets' interior was JaVale McGee. If he had success, expect players like Davis, James and Christian Wood to test those waters.
If Houston, 3-3, wins a fourth straight game, it will be the first time that Houston has been over .500 in over 1,000 days. Tipoff will be Wednesday, November 8th, at 5:00 p.m. (PT), with the Rockets set to don their newest city connect jerseys.
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