How Tari Eason became the missing piece behind the Rockets’ recent surge

Despite Kevin Durant scoring 30 points in back-to-back games, the Houston Rockets’ recent turnaround has been fueled by the addition of Tari Eason to the starting lineup.

Houston had dropped four of its previous five before making the move. But since elevating Eason to the starting lineup, the Rockets are 3-0, including statement wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Eason, who had missed 14 games with an oblique strain and leg soreness, said he was happy that his head coach, Ime Udoka, “finally trusts me” enough to start. He also made it clear he wants the role permanently.

“It’s just setting the tone,” Eason said. “Being able to go out and set the tone, having a feel for the game early on.”

That feel has allowed Eason to shoot 50% from the floor as a starter.

Udoka said he “loved the fact” that the 24-year-old has been vocal about wanting to remain in the starting lineup.

NBA analyst Zach Lowe called the change a “really big deal,” urging fans not to sleep on the Rockets’ new-look starting unit.

Udoka has spent the early part of the season experimenting with different lineup combinations, searching for the right balance. But Eason provides something none of the other options do. He’s a better shooter than Josh Okogie, a better penetrator than the smaller Reed Sheppard, and, right now, healthier than Dorian Finney-Smith.

According to Cleaning The Glass, the Rockets are outscoring opponents by 23.5 points per 100 possessions when Eason shares the floor with Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson.

Tari Eason making a defensive difference

He’s also very tough on the defensive end.

Despite Udoka’s defensive-minded reputation, the defense has slipped this year, in part because of the increased use of their double-big lineup. In fact, the Rockets have dropped to 21^st in defensive rating over the last two weeks, per The Athletic. But Eason helps stabilize things, as evidenced by his work defending Luka Doncic on Christmas Day.

Eason provides more balance on both ends of the floor than even Adams. And his shooting, a career-best 49% from beyond the arc, has given Durant more space to score lately, as teams haven’t been able to double him as often with Eason’s success.

“He’s very unique, and he impacts the game even if you don’t call plays for him all the time,” Udoka said. “We’re starting to add him to more things, whether he’s a [ball] handler or a screener. He’s going to crash the glass at a high level, like a lot of our guys. He’s shooting the ball extremely well, so the spacing is going to be good with him.”

And with it being a contract year, the 24-year-old should be even more motivated to play well.

“You really can’t explain what he’s doing out there,” teammate Jabari Smith Jr. said. “You just see it.”

“Randomly, the loose ball falls in his hands,” Smith added. “He’s tipping out rebounds. He just adds another whole dynamic to our team that we haven’t seen since he’s been out. It’s great to have him back. I love having him out there.”

Durant echoed the sentiment, emphasizing Eason’s unpredictability.

“I think teams will still try to figure that out,” Durant said. “But I think in the last couple [of] games we’ve been knocking down shots out of [the traps] and making the correct plays. [Tari] just finds his way to the basketball. Finds his way into the play. He just makes something happen. He just impacts the game. You can’t pinpoint exactly how he’s going to impact the game each night, but it’s going to happen. Being unpredictable like that is tough to scout for. You never know if he’s going to make four or five threes, cut to the rim [or] post up.”

“If we have that unpredictable attack like we’ve been having the last few games, it’s only going to make us better,” Durant added.

Eason has shown his value more than ever, proving that he might be the missing piece Houston has been searching for.

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