Tag: Tari Eason

Rockets rookie Tari Eason encouraged by impressive summer performances

“You see the rich NBA lineage before you, and you want to put on a show and prove yourself,” says Rockets rookie Tari Eason, who did just that at summer league and at the Drew League.

HOUSTON — Fresh off a dazzling performance in front of a packed gymnasium at the Drew League, rookie forward Tari Eason came out Sunday to meet fans and sign autographs during the Streetball Tour featuring former NBA champion and Rockets icon Metta World Peace.

“It is super cool to engage with the community,” Eason said after the Adidas-sponsored event. “Any time you get to meet new people and engage with fans, it is super special. I enjoy the time I have with them.”

Eason has been very busy since he heard his name called in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft. The 6-foot-8 forward from LSU was named to the All-Summer League first team in Las Vegas after averaging 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game with the summer Rockets.

“Honestly, it is something I have been looking forward to my whole life,” Eason said of being selected to the NBA’s first team in Las Vegas. “You see summer league and you see all the guys who played before you. You see the rich NBA lineage before you, and you want to put on a show and prove yourself. So, I went out there and tried to do that.”

His work ethic aligns with what Rockets head coach Stephen Silas is trying to instill in his young core of players. Eason never misses an opportunity to improve his game. He was in the gym late at the University of Cincinnati before catching an early morning flight to Houston.

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“I am always working on my game,” said Eason, who was also awarded Drew League Player of the Week honors after recording 37 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks while leading his team to victory in Los Angeles. “I love to hoop, so anywhere a hoop is, I love to go play.”

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Rockets’ Tari Eason named Drew League Player of the Week

Eason was named the Drew League Player of the Week after a dazzling performance on Saturday with team All In.

Houston Rockets rookie Tari Eason was named the Drew League Player of the Week after a dazzling performance on Saturday with team All In during a win over No Shnacks in Los Angeles, California.

Eason dropped 37 points, 13 rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal in the Week 7 victory. He scored in a variety of ways and threw down several highlight-worthy dunks. He looked to be the top player on the court throughout the game.

The Drew League has taken front and center yet again this summer with LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan and Trae Young among the NBA players that have stopped in to compete. Paul George also plans on returning to the annual pro-am this year.

Eason expressed his desire to play again in the Drew League this summer after his latest effort. He also participated in the Crawsover pro-am in Seattle as he continues to prepare for his upcoming rookie campaign with the Rockets.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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PHOTOS: Best of Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and TyTy Washington at summer league

It was a successful summer league for each of Houston’s first-round rookies from the 2022 draft: Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and TyTy Washington.

The Rockets had a complete roster for the 2022 summer league in Las Vegas, but let’s be honest. The primary focus was on Houston’s three first-round rookies from the first round of the 2022 NBA draft.

Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr., LSU forward Tari Eason, and Kentucky guard TyTy Washington each had their moments in July — and most importantly, they played all five games while staying healthy.

In those five games, Smith averaged 14.4 points (37.7% FG, 25.9% on 3-pointers), 9.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 29.7 minutes. For Eason, who was named to the NBA’s All-Summer League First Team, he tallied an impressive 17.2 points (44.7% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers), 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 assists in 27.5 minutes.

Finally, Washington averaged 9.4 points (37.5% FG, 30.0% on 3-pointers), 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 26.5 minutes,

Scroll on for a pictorial look back at some of their best moments in Las Vegas. You can also check out our player grades for Houston’s complete summer-league rotation, along with an off-court photo gallery of Rockets prospects who took part in the league’s official rookie portraits.

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Rockets’ Tari Eason drops 37 points in Drew League contest

Rockets rookie Tari Eason pulled up to the Drew League over the weekend and put on a show for All In.

Houston Rockets rookie Tari Eason pulled up to the Drew League over the weekend and put on a show for team All In during a win over No Shnacks in Los Angeles, California.

Eason dropped 37 points, 13 rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal in the 87-85 win on Saturday. He scored in a variety of ways and threw down a number of highlight-worthy dunks and looked to be the top player on the court throughout the game.

The 21-year-old is the latest NBA player to participate in the annual pro-am, joining the likes of LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, Trae Young and John Collins among others recently.

The showing from Eason follows a great run with the Rockets in the Las Vegas Summer League. He was named to the all-summer league first team after averaging 17.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.6 assists and one block in five games.

He led all players in rebounding and double-doubles (4).

Eason also participated in the Crawsover pro-am in Seattle and expressed his desire to play again in the Drew League. The games will give him the opportunity to continue playing in a competitive format and prepare for his upcoming rookie campaign.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Player salaries for Houston Rockets after 2022 NBA draft, free agency

The Rockets continue to prioritize salary cap flexibility for the 2023 offseason. Here’s where Houston’s roster stands, financially, after the 2022 NBA draft and the initial wave of free agency.

With each passing week, the Rockets are making it clear that salary cap flexibility in the 2023 offseason is a priority. Based on the team’s current books, the Rockets could theoretically have room to sign or trade for two maximum salaried players in 2023 free agency.

The Rockets traded veteran center Christian Wood without accepting any long-term money in the deal, and they opted to buy out veteran guard John Wall — who was entering the final year of his contract — rather than accept a trade that could have multi-year salaries in the deal. Houston general manager Rafael Stone appears similarly reluctant to accept longer-term salaries in trade talks involving Eric Gordon.

With that in mind, here’s where the roster stands, financially, after the 2022 NBA draft and the initial wave of free agency. Salaries are sorted by each player’s 2022-23 figure, in descending order.

(Note: This roster is larger than it will be in the regular season, since teams can roster up to 20 players in the offseason — as opposed to the usual limit of 15 standard contracts and two two-way contracts during the season. Thus, more roster moves are a certainty by mid-October.)

PHOTOS: Official 2022 NBA rookie portraits for Rockets’ draft class

While in Las Vegas for summer league, Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and TyTy Washington took part in the NBA’s official rookie photo shoot for the 2022-23 season.

With three first-round selections, few teams felt a more immediate impact from the 2022 NBA draft than the Houston Rockets. It showed on the court at summer league, and particularly in strong performances by No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. and No. 17 choice Tari Eason.

Even so, summer league games aren’t nearly equivalent to what each rookie will see in the 2022-23 regular season. Besides the obvious jump in talent and age, those real games also feature real uniforms, as opposed to the scaled-down versions worn by each team in the summer.

There was pne exception to that general rule, though. As part of an official rookie photo shoot in Las Vegas, the Rockets had each of their three new first-round rookies from the 2022 draft class (Smith, Eason, and TyTy Washington) put on their regular NBA jerseys for the first time as a professional. It was clearly a fun and memorable occasion for Houston’s three prized prospects, who are all 21 years old or younger.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from that shoot, which was held on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

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Murray, Eason among rookies named to All-Summer League teams

Keegan Murray and Tari Eason were among the three rookies named to the All-Summer League teams announced on Monday.

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray and Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason were among the three rookies named to the All-Summer League teams announced on Monday.

Murray, who was voted the Most Valuable Player of the Las Vegas Summer League, and Eason were each named to the first team. Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was voted onto the second team by a panel of media members.

The Kings’ standout averaged 23.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, two assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 40% from 3-point range in four games. The fourth pick finished fourth in scoring average among all players and had at least 20 points in every game.

Eason, the 17th pick last month, posted 17.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.6 assists and one blocked shot on 44.7% shooting from the field in five games with the Rockets. He led all players in rebounding and double-doubles (4) in Las Vegas.

Mathurin averaged 19.3 points, four rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals on 38.5% shooting from 3-point range. The sixth pick played in only three games after the team opted to hold him out of the lineup after suffering a toe injury that isn’t thought to be serious.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA names Rockets forward Tari Eason to 2022 All-Summer League First Team

Rockets forward Tari Eason is one of only two 2022 rookies named to the NBA’s All-Summer League First Team, joining Keegan Murray of the Kings.

Houston Rockets rookie forward Tari Eason was named by the NBA on Monday to the 2022 All-Summer League First Team. In five games in Las Vegas, Eason averaged 17.2 points (44.7% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers), 10.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 27.5 minutes per game.

Eason is joined on that team by Quentin Grimes of the New York Knicks, Sandro Mamukelashvili of the Milwaukee Bucks, Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings, and Cam Thomas of the Brooklyn Nets.

Of those five first-team members, the only 2022 rookies were Eason and Murray, who were drafted at No. 17 and No. 4 in the first-round order, respectively. Each played multiple seasons of college basketball in a major conference, which likely contributed to their readiness.

Eason, a 6-foot-8 forward who recently turned 21 years old, registered a double-double in points and rebounds in four of his five summer games. In particular, Eason was a dynamic and versatile force on defense, and he could factor into the regular-season NBA rotation for Stephen Silas with the Rockets as soon as the upcoming 2022-23 season.

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NBA Summer League 2022: The top rookie standouts from Las Vegas

Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best performances from the rookie class this year in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The Las Vegas Summer League came to a conclusion on Sunday as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the New York Knicks to claim the championship trophy.

Throughout the 11-day competition, there were plenty of exciting performances from players and teams alike. With few second-year players in action, the rookie class was on full display with several individuals playing at a high level.

Of course, No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero dazzled in a limit showing before getting shut down after two games. Further down the draft board, other players stepped up and showed little trouble adjusting to their first NBA action.

With the event now wrapped up, Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best performances from the rookie class this year in games played in Las Vegas.

Note: Players arranged in alphabetical order.

Player grades, statistics: How Rockets fared at 2022 NBA summer league

With rookies Tari Eason (A) and Jabari Smith Jr. (B+) leading the way, here’s our look back at what we learned about the Rockets during 2022 NBA summer league action.

With the NBA’s 2022 summer league officially in the books, we’re taking a look back at the performances of the young Houston Rockets.

The Rockets went 2-3 in Las Vegas, though it should be noted that they were 2-1 with a complete roster. They finished 0-2 after shutting down leading scorer Josh Christopher (right hip soreness) midway through.

Shooting struggles were a recurring issue. Of Houston’s nine rotation players, only two — Tari Eason and Daishen Nix — shot over 40% from the field. Nix was the only player to break 35% on 3-pointers.

Yet, the Rockets were still competitive throughout summer league play thanks in large part to their defense, which was spearheaded by the rookie duo of Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. in the frontcourt. Houston had hoped going in to also have second-year forward Usman Garuba as a defensive anchor, but he was unable to play due to injury.

Scroll on for 2022 summer league statistics, player grades, highlights, and key takeaways involving Houston’s nine consistent rotation players in Las Vegas: Christopher, Eason, Nix, Smith, TyTy Washington, Anthony Lamb, Trevor Hudgins, Trhae Mitchell, and Aric Holman. Grades are relative to realistic expectations for each player going in.

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