Tag: Tari Eason

Rockets view Tari Eason, Steven Adams as marquee roster additions for 2024-25

“We’re ecstatic we have Steven Adams and think he’ll add a real element to us,” Rockets GM Rafael Stone says. “Tari [Eason] is an enormous part of what we do.”

Led by a top-10 defense, the resurgent Houston Rockets (41-41) had the biggest year-on-year increase in wins of any NBA team during the recently completed 2023-24 regular season.

And yet, two potentially crucial defensive pieces on the team’s 2023-24 roster barely made any direct contributions to that success.

Second-year forward Tari Eason was limited by injuries to just 22 games, while veteran center Steven Adams — acquired by trade in February — wasn’t able to play at all due to injury.

Both are expected to be fully healthy by the time 2024-25 training camp opens in late September or early October. So, with that in mind, is Houston’s improved defense about to get even better?

In Tuesday’s season-ending press conference, general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka shared their optimism about adding Eason and Adams to the core of a .500 team.

Udoka’s comments:

You add Tari and Steven to the mix and another year [and] offseason under our belt to hit the ground running, there should be quite a bit of improvement just with that.

Stone’s perspective:

We’re looking forward to get Tari back. He’s an enormous part of what we do. We’re ecstatic we have Steven Adams and think he’ll add a real element to us.

The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back. We’ll look at things but again, I don’t view our roster as we’re missing X, we need to go find it. It’s not like we have a gaping hole.

Adams should slide in as a defensive complement to incumbent starter Alperen Sengun at center. Meanwhile, Eason will join a forward mix that includes starters Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks.

Complete video of the press conference is available below.

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As banter persists, Warriors veteran Draymond Green shows respect to Houston’s Tari Eason

Draymond Green on Rockets forward Tari Eason: “I know what type of player he is. He welcomes the challenge. He welcomes the fight.”

HOUSTON — Warriors forward Draymond Green is a fierce competitor on and off the court, and he loves nothing more than good, old-fashioned trash talk from his opponents. It seems to fuel Golden State’s veteran leader — and the more respect he has for someone, the more he wants to leave a lasting impression that his team will be the best they ever face on a basketball court.

That is why it is no surprise Green and his teammates took great pride in defeating the Rockets, 133-110, at Toyota Center. Thursday’s victory all but eliminated Houston from 2024 postseason contention.

Golden State entered with extra motivation after recent remarks made by the Rockets’ second-year forward, Tari Eason, on Instagram.

“Warriors, come out and play,” Eason said after Houston’s March 27 win in Oklahoma City, which pulled them within a game of Golden State for the final Western Conference play-in tournament spot

Green then used his podcast to respond to Eason, whom he admires as a player, to say that he was putting his teammates in a terrible position — knowing they had one game left to play versus the Warriors. Eason could not play due to a season-ending leg injury.

“Really big-time win for us, especially with the Rockets coming out to play,” Green jokingly said after the Warriors beat Dallas on Tuesday.

“They have lost a couple in a row, you know, and (are) three games behind with seven games left, and you’re losing the tiebreaker,” Green added. “So, four games behind in a sense with seven to go. If my math serves me correctly, (Thursday) will be an opportunity to end their season and their playoff hopes.”

Golden State (42-34) has won six consecutive games as they pull away from the Rockets (38-38), who have lost three straight.

After the game, several Golden State players were heard screaming the phrase Eason referenced from the 1979 movie “The Warriors” as they made their way to the locker room. Guard Steph Curry was heard repeating Eason’s Instagram post from the bench, tapping three water bottles together to recreate the sound from the movie.

Green, who has won four NBA titles with the Warriors, thought the exchange between the two teams was good, healthy banter.

“I love it, I love it,” Green responded when asked about Eason’s comments. “Like I said on my podcast, Tari, if you’re going to say that, you got to play, though. You can’t come out and say that and not play. But I know what type of player he is. He welcomes all that. He welcomes the challenge. He welcomes the fight.”

“I saw him play last year and fell in love with his game because he does the dirty work,” Green said. “That team is better when he is out there. I love the competitive fire. I love the (expletive) talking. That is always fun. Hopefully, next year, he’ll say the same thing, and we won’t be fighting for the play-in; we’ll be fighting for seeding up top.”

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NBA Twitter trolls Tari Eason, Rockets: ‘He learned his lesson, who’s next?’

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Warriors trolling the Rockets after their win.

The Golden State Warriors blew out the Rockets in Houston 133-110 and ended their season after they most likely eliminated them from the play-in contention.

Tari Eason infamously was the star of the night, as he wore a shirt that said, “Warriors come out to play”.

Here’s how NBA fans reacted to it after the Warriors win.

Klay Thompson takes issue with Tari Eason’s ‘come out to play’ remarks

“That’s pretty lame, especially if you’re not even playing,” Klay Thompson said of Houston’s Tari Eason after his recent comments regarding the Warriors.

Shortly after the Houston Rockets secured their 10th straight win on Wednesday, March 27 in Oklahoma City, injured forward Tari Eason took to Instagram and posted a video of himself.

As Eason proclaimed: “Warriors, come out to play!” (It’s a line that originated in a 1979 film, appropriately titled The Warriors.)

At the time, Houston was just one game back of Golden State in the race for the final Western Conference play-in tournament berth.

Since then, however, Golden State (42-34) is 4-0, and the Rockets (38-38) are 1-3. That includes Thursday’s blowout by the Warriors in Houston, which pushed the home team to the brink of postseason elimination with only six games left to play in the 2023-24 season.

Eason watched from the sidelines in a T-shirt with text of “Warriors, come out to play” across the front.

It looked like harmless fun, but Golden State’s players may have read more into it. Multiple players yelled Eason’s line heading into the visitor’s locker room, according to reporters at Toyota Center, and veteran guard Klay Thompson said this postgame:

That’s pretty lame, especially if you’re not even playing. It’s one thing if you’re playing and you’re out there competing and you can back it up. But if you’re just going to be trolling from the sidelines… like, bro, what are we doing?

With Eason (left tibia surgery) expected to return healthy for the 2024-25 season in the fall, it could provide yet another storyline for whenever the Warriors and Rockets resume their rivalry.

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After leg surgery, Rockets announce four-month recovery timeline for Tari Eason

To accelerate healing, Tari Eason’s surgery involved excising and bone grafting the lesion while inserting an intramedullary rod into his tibia. He should be fully recovered after four months.

After undergoing leg surgery this week, young Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason is expected to be fully cleared for all basketball activities in advance of the 2024-25 NBA season.

His expected clearance will come in July.

The team’s announcement includes a detailed explanation:

Today, the Rockets announced that forward Tari Eason underwent successful surgery to treat a benign growth in his lower leg. The surgery, which was performed by Dr. Ned Amendola at Duke University, involved excising and bone grafting the lesion along with inserting an intramedullary rod in his tibia to accelerate healing.

The issue became symptomatic for Eason after sustaining a blow to his leg during a preseason game vs. Indiana on Oct. 10, 2023. It was not at risk of causing a fracture to his tibia and presented a possibility of healing with non-surgical treatment, which would have allowed Eason to return to play this season.

Following a slow healing process, the decision was made to move forward with the surgery in order for Eason to be ready for the start of next season. He is expected to make a full recovery in approximately four months.

A versatile player, Eason finished his second season (2023-24) averaging 9.8 points, 7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 21.8 minutes per game. According to the team, no other player in NBA history has averaged at least 9 points, 7 rebounds and 1.40 steals in a season while playing fewer than 25 minutes. Eason appeared in all 82 games as a rookie in 2022-23.

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Takeaways: Rockets burn Suns as Jalen Green (34 points) stays hot

Jalen Green had another 34-point game in Phoenix, and in the rematch, he had enough support from teammates for Houston to win versus Kevin Durant and the Suns.

In the finale of two straight games in Phoenix between the Rockets and Suns, Jalen Green kept his momentum going on Saturday night.

And in contrast to Thursday’s close loss, Green had ample support from teammates in Saturday’s 118-109 victory (box score).

Key individual statistics in Houston’s win included:

  • Jalen Green: 34 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists; 12-of-23 shooting (52.2%), 6-of-12 on 3-pointers (50.0%)
  • Fred VanVleet: 24 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds; 8-of-14 shooting (53.3%), 6-of-11 on 3-pointers (54.5%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals; 9-of-21 shooting (42.9%)

As a team, the Rockets made 16-of-42 shots from 3-point range (38.1%), which outpaced the 9-of-29 night (31.0%) from Phoenix. For Green, it was his second straight game to score 34 points.

Houston (26-34) won for just the second time in six games out of the All-Star break, while Phoenix (35-25) saw its nine-game home winning streak end. Perennial All-Star Kevin Durant led the hosts with 30 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 12-of-19 overall (63.2%).

Unfortunately for the Rockets, Saturday’s news wasn’t all positive, as second-year forward Tari Eason was officially ruled out for the remainder of the 2023-24 season with a lower leg injury.

Here’s our look at Saturday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for the Rockets is a home back-to-back versus the Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers, with Tuesday’s tip versus San Antonio at 7:00 p.m. Central.

Tari Eason to undergo leg surgery, miss remainder of season for Rockets

Reports on Tari Eason: “There was a benign growth on his lower leg bone that Coach says was pre-existing, but flared up due to getting hit. Out for four months.”

As suspected for some time, second-year forward Tari Eason will not play again for the Houston Rockets in the 2023-24 NBA season.

Eason, 22, averaged 9.8 points (46.6% FG, 36% on 3-pointers), 7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 21.8 minutes across 22 games this season.

Per Vanessa Richardson, courtside reporter for TV partner Space City Home Network, Eason will have surgery Monday in an attempt to resolve the issue before the 2024-25 season. Richardson cited comments by head coach Ime Udoka after Saturday’s win in Phoenix.

“There was a benign growth on his lower leg bone that Coach (Udoka) says was pre-existing, but flared up due to getting hit,” Richardson tweeted. “Out for four months.”

After being drafted at No. 17 in the 2022 first round, Eason was one of a select few NBA players who played in all 82 regular-season games last year. He earned All-Rookie second-team honors.

When healthy, Eason has been one of the most valuable players for the 2023-24 Rockets, and he delivers clear value on both offense and defense. But he hasn’t been healthy nearly enough this season, owing to a stress reaction in his left leg suffered in the preseason.

Houston is 12-10 when Eason plays, and, after Saturday, 14-24 when he does not. Eason returned from the initial lower leg injury on Nov. 8 and played in most games from that point until Jan. 1. He hasn’t played since.

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As leg injury lingers, Rockets not ruling out possibility of Tari Eason being lost for season

Ime Udoka on injured Rockets forward Tari Eason: “During the ramp-up process, he started to feel some of the same pain, even with some significant time off.”

When healthy, second-year forward Tari Eason has been one of the most valuable players for the 2023-24 Rockets — a disruptive force at both ends. But he hasn’t been healthy nearly enough, owing to a stress reaction in his lower left leg suffered in the preseason.

Entering Thursday, Houston is 12-10 when Eason plays, and 12-20 when he does not. Eason returned from the initial leg injury on Nov. 8 and played in most games from that point until Jan. 1, but he hasn’t played in any games over the six-plus weeks since.

Prior to Thursday’s game in New Orleans, head coach Ime Udoka was asked about the possibility of Eason being lost for the remainder of the season, and he didn’t rule out the possibility. With under two months remaining until Houston’s regular season concludes on April 14, the calendar is becoming an obstacle as it pertains to the timing of any return-to-play scenario and the associated ramping-up period.

Among Udoka’s comments (via Dave Hardisty of ClutchFans):

It’s strictly based off of the results of the latest imaging that he’s gotten and the pain tolerance. He played through some pain earlier (in the season). He played well, but as he continued to play in games adding up, it started to bother him a little more, so we shut it down.

During the ramp-up process (attempted during Houston’s Feb 4-10 road trip), he started to feel some of the same pain, even with some significant time off. So that’s why he’s getting it looked at now, and based on pending results, we’ll determine what we’re going to do moving forward.

Eason, 22, averaged 9.8 points (46.6% FG, 36% on 3-pointers), 7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 21.8 minutes per game this season.

After being drafted at No. 17 overall in the 2022 first round, Eason was one of a select few NBA players who played in all 82 regular-season games last year. He earned All-Rookie second team honors.

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Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore rejoin Rockets; Tari Eason still sidelined

#Rockets regulars Fred VanVleet and Cam Whitmore are cleared to return from their injuries after the All-Star break, but Tari Eason remains sidelined.

After using the extended All-Star break to rest, starting point guard Fred VanVleet (left adductor strain) and valuable bench scorer Cam Whitmore (right ankle sprain) will both rejoin the Rockets when Houston resumes its schedule on Thursday night in New Orleans.

VanVleet missed Houston’s five games leading into the break, and the Rockets went 1-4 in those games. Whitmore satg out the final three. When combining the All-Star break with their absence leading into it, VanVleet had more than two weeks of rest before Wednesday’s team practice, while Whitmore had just under two weeks.

VanVleet said he had no limitations and would be available for both ends of Houston’s upcoming back-to-back — on Thursday against the Pelicans followed by Friday at home versus Phoenix.

The news was less optimistic for second-year forward Tari Eason, who has had off-and-on issues throughout the regular season since suffering a stress reaction in his lower left leg during the preseason. Eason hasn’t played since an apparent flareup following Houston’s Jan. 1 game, and he did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.

Head coach Ime Udoka said more on Eason’s status would be known later in the day after seeing results from medical imaging. The team is hopeful that extended time off could make a return realistic, but testing results will reveal whether enough progress has been made.

Draymond Green sees Houston’s Tari Eason as next generation of himself

Jamal Crawford: “So, who do you think is the next generation of you, in the league right now?” Draymond Green: “Tari Eason. I love that kid.”

It isn’t yet clear when Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) will return to the court for the Rockets. But when he has played in the 2023-24 NBA season, the second-year forward has left quite an impression, both in Houston and throughout the league.

In a newly released podcast interview, four-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer Draymond Green was asked by former player Jamal Crawford if there were any younger players that could represent his style of play for the next generation of the league.

The Golden State Warriors star, long regarded for his commitment to defense, team play and leadership, quickly pointed to Eason.

Here’s how the exchange went:

Crawford: Do you see anybody else who can be the next generation of you, in the league right now?

Green: Tari Eason.

Crawford: You said that quick; you’ve thought about this.

Green: I love that kid, man. … From what I’ve seen from him, he can dribble the ball. He can shoot it OK, but you can get better at that.

Crawford: Crazy motor.

Green: He’s a good athlete. He’s not a crazy, freak athlete, but he’s a good athlete. Great length, great size, rebounds the ball. He’s not soft at all. He’s not backing down from nothing. Does the little things. … Now, you’ve got him in the right situation.

Crawford: He’s the one.

Green: I love his game, and I love what he brings to a team.

The complete Crawford-Green interview can be viewed below.

Eason, 22, is averaging 9.8 points (46.6% FG, 36% on 3-pointers) and 7 rebounds in 21.8 minutes this season, and he’s rapidly become one of the most trusted defenders for head coach Ime Udoka.

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