Tag: Tari Eason

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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In close loss at Indiana, Rockets find late spark from Jalen Green, Amen Thompson

Jalen Green (30 points) and Amen Thompson (13 points, 13 rebounds) were dynamic, but Houston’s frantic comeback bid came up just short in Indiana.

On the second stop of a four-game road trip, the short-handed Houston Rockets ran out of steam in the second half in Tuesday’s 132-129 loss (box score) in Indiana. Houston (23-27) is four games below .500 for the first time in the 2023-24 NBA season.

The Rockets scored 75 points in the first half and led by as many as 10, but their shooting cooled significantly in a third quarter, which the Pacers (29-23) won by a decisive 38-24 margin. Pascal Siakam led the way with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting (68.8%).

Led by young guards Jalen Green and Amen Thompson, the Rockets fought back valiantly but couldn’t come any closer than three points during a frantic closing sequence. Houston finished on a 25-14 run over the final seven-plus minutes, including a 10-3 burst over the last three minutes.

Standout players for the Rockets included:

  • Jalen Green: 30 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals; 12-of-20 shooting (60%), 3-of-5 from 3-point range (60%)
  • Amen Thompson: 13 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks; 6-of-13 shooting (46.2%), 1-of-4 on free throws (25%)
  • Dillon Brooks: 23 points, 4 assists; 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%), 3-of-6 on 3-pointers (50%)
  • Jabari Smith Jr.: 20 points, 9 rebounds; 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%), 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50%)
  • Alperen Sengun: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists; 7-of-15 shooting (46.7%), 6-of-8 on free throws (75%)

Green has scored at least 29 points in five of eight games.

Fred VanVleet (left adductor strain) and Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) both missed the game due to injury, although there is hope that both players could return within a week or so.

Here’s our look at Tuesday’s highlights and postgame interviews from Indiana, along with reaction by media members and fans. As the road trip continues with its back half, next up for Houston is Friday’s game at Toronto (17-33), where tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.

Tari Eason (leg injury) advances in practice drills, could rejoin Rockets next week

Tari Eason is now participating in 1-on-1 and 2-on-2 practice drills for the Rockets, and he could return to game action next week, per Ime Udoka.

On a per-minute basis, second-year forward Tari Eason is arguably the most impactful player for the 2023-24 Houston Rockets. Head coach Ime Udoka has even referred to him having similar characteristics to a “young Kawhi Leonard,” in terms of playing style.

The problem, of course, is that Eason hasn’t been available to play in nearly as many minutes as the Rockets would like. He’s missed more than half of Houston’s regular season to date with issues tracing back to a stress reaction suffered this preseason in his left lower leg.

But after giving him over a month to rest, the Rockets are ramping Eason up to play, and a return in the near future seems doable.

At Thursday’s team practice, as relayed by Adam Spolane of SportsRadio 610, Udoka said Eason has begun playing 1-on-1 and 2-on-2, and he could return to game action for the Rockets next week.

Eason, who hasn’t played since Jan. 1, is averaging 9.8 points (46.6% FG, 36.0% on 3-pointers), 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 21.8 minutes per game this season. He’s already among Houston’s best and most versatile defenders — and if scaled up to starter’s minutes, that could make him an extremely impactful player.

The question is whether scaling up is doable, medically, at least for this season. Starting next week, we could have some answers.

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Jabari Smith Jr. to rep Rockets at NBA Rising Stars; Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson left out

Jabari Smith Jr. is among the sophomores chosen for the NBA’s Rising Stars event at All-Star Weekend, but rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore were left out.

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars challenge. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 16, at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse as an official part of the league’s 2024 All-Star Weekend.

The annual showcase of young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games, airs live at 8 p.m. Central on TNT.

In selecting players for the Rising Stars event, each NBA team submitted one ballot per coaching staff.  Each coaching staff selected four frontcourt players, four guards, and two additional players at either position, in order of preference, for rookies and sophomores. Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.

The NBA participants were determined by the total points each player received from the ballots. Points were awarded based on where a player was ranked on each ballot. The player pool includes one more rookie than sophomore based on total points received.

For the Houston Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. is the lone representative. Fellow second-year forward Tari Eason likely would have joined Smith, but he’s been out due to a leg injury for the past month and has missed approximately half of Houston’s 2023-24 season to date.

A 6-foot-11, 220-pound forward, Smith is averaging 13.8 points (47.8% FG, 38.3% on 3-pointers) and 8.7 rebounds per game this season. He’s also one of Houston’s most valuable defensive players. Smith and Eason were both on the rookie Rising Stars roster last season, while Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun were in the sophomore group.

As for 2023-24, rookies Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson have played very well in recent games, but neither was among the 11 rookies selected. Thompson missed most of Houston’s first six weeks of the season with an ankle injury, while Whitmore didn’t consistently join Houston’s rotation until approximately mid-January.

Thus, their surge may have come a bit too late for it to be properly accounted for in voting conducted by opposing coaches.

Unlike the previous two seasons, the 2023-24 Rockets (22-24) are much more competitive, which has also made it more difficult for rookies to earn consistent playing time to put up gaudy statistics.

Read on for the full rosters, teams, and more details on the format, as well as key numbers on Smith’s sophomore season in Houston.

Reaction: Defenseless Rockets stunned at buzzer by Blazers, Jerami Grant

In another sluggish defensive showing, Jerami Grant beat the regulation buzzer in Houston, and the Blazers went on to shock the Rockets in overtime.

HOUSTON — In the finale of a three-game homestand at Toyota Center, the Rockets suffered a difficult setback in Wednesday’s 137-131 overtime loss (box score) to the Portland Trail Blazers.

With the loss, Houston (20-23) missed a chance to pull into a virtual tie with Utah and the Los Angeles Lakers (both 22-23) for the No. 9 and No. 10 spots in the Western Conference standings, which would represent the final two spots in the 2023-24 play-in tournament.

The Rockets led by four points entering the game’s closing seconds, but Malcolm Brogdon and Jerami Grant each hit miraculous 3-pointers in the final 3.1 seconds of regulation (sandwiched around a pair of free throws by Aaron Holiday) to extend the game to overtime. Grant’s off-balance, off-glass heave from the right wing went in as time expired, and Portland pulled away in overtime.

Grant finished with 21 points and 9 assists for lowly Portland (13-30), which entered on night two of a road back-to-back. Houston, on the other hand, was at home and rested, having not played since Sunday.

The Rockets had plenty of standouts on offense, including:

  • Alperen Sengun: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists; 11-of-17 shooting (64.7%), 1-of-2 on 3-pointers (50.0%), 7-of-8 on free throws (87.5%)
  • Jalen Green: 29 points, 3 assists; 12-of-24 shooting (50.0%), 2-of-7 on 3-pointers (28.6%), 3-of-4 on free throws (75.0%)
  • Fred VanVleet: 18 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks; 8-of-17 shooting (47.1%), 2-of-10 on 3-pointers (20.0%)
  • Cam Whitmore: 12 points, 4 rebounds in 14 minutes; 5-of-10 shooting (50.0%), 2-of-6 on 3-pointers (33.3%)

As a team, the Rockets made 50-of-94 shots (53.2%) in one of their most efficient shooting nights all season. However, it didn’t matter thanks to Portland’s incredible shotmaking late in regulation and another lethargic defensive night by Houston, which ranks just 18th in defensive rating in January. That’s well below their No. 10 ranking for the 2023-24 season (it was once at No. 2), and it has a lot to do with why the slumping Rockets are 3-8 in their last 11 games.

The Rockets were again short-handed, with second-year forwards Jabari Smith Jr. (left ankle sprain) and Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management) still sidelined and Jae’Sean Tate (left wrist strain) missing his only his third game of the 2023-24 season.

Here’s our look at Wednesday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for the Rockets is a road back-to-back, starting Friday night in Charlotte (10-31) and continuing to Brooklyn (17-26) on Saturday afternoon.

Reaction: Celtics edge short-handed Rockets as Alperen Sengun posts third career triple-double

Alperen Sengun (24/12/10) had his third career triple-double, but the weary and short-handed Rockets couldn’t complete Sunday’s comeback bid against Boston.

HOUSTON — On the second night of a difficult back-to-back at Toyota Center, the severely short-handed Rockets (20-22) couldn’t quite keep pace with the loaded Boston Celtics (33-10) in a 116-107 loss (box score). But the home team didn’t go down without a fight.

Despite trailing by double digits most of the way, Houston kept pushing and came within a possession on multiple trips in the fourth quarter. However, the Rockets couldn’t get a final breakthrough.

Big man Kristaps Porzingis led Boston with 32 points and 5 blocks, and he made 6-of-11 from 3-point range (54.5%). He was countered by Houston’s Alperen Sengun, who had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the third triple-double of his NBA career. Sengun made 10-of-18 shots (55.6%) and all four of his free throws.

Houston was without Tari Eason (left lower leg injury management), Jabari Smith Jr. (left ankle sprain), Fred VanVleet (lower back tightness), Jeff Green (left calf soreness) and Reggie Bullock (lower back pain). Back-to-back considerations played a role in some of those decisions, according to head coach Ime Udoka.

Given those absences, Houston had its pair of highly drafted rookies — Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore — make their first NBA starts. Thompson played well with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, making 5-of-10 shots (50%) and 5-of-6 free throws (83.3%).

For Whitmore, it was a struggle with 5 points and 4 rebounds on 2-of-7 shooting (28.6%). He went 0-of-2 on free throws when the Rockets were down only three points in the closing minutes.

Dillon Brooks led Houston with 25 points and 4 steals, making 5-of-15 from 3-point range (33.3%), and his defense helped limit Celtics star Jayson Tatum to just 18 points on 4-of-17 shooting (23.5%).

Jalen Green and Aaron Holiday each had 5 assists and 4 rebounds while scoring 16 and 12 points, respectively. Both were stepping into larger-than-usual roles in the absence of VanVleet.

Here’s our look at Sunday’s highlights and postgame interviews from Toyota Center, along with reaction by media members and fans. Now 1-1 on a three-game homestand, Houston wraps it up on Wednesday versus Portland (12-29), with tipoff set for 7 p.m. Central.

Ime Udoka updates injury statuses of Houston’s Tari Eason, Dillon Brooks

According to a new quotes by Rockets coach Ime Udoka, Dillon Brooks is ramping up from his oblique injury, while Tari Eason is still resting his sore left leg.

Since returning from a stress reaction in his lower left leg suffered during the 2023-24 preseason, second-year Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason has missed occasional games while also having his minutes slightly limited in games he is available to play.

The team has frequently listed Eason as questionable to play; head coach Ime Udoka often refers to it as an issue of pain tolerance that is evaluated on a day-by-day basis.

But starting Jan. 3, Eason hasn’t played in Houston’s last five contests. Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, Udoka acknowledged that the circumstances have changed. The team has opted to give Eason a more prolonged period of rest in hopes of making him more consistently available for the rest of the 2023-24 season.

Regarding Eason and his current status, here’s what Udoka said, via Adam Spolane of SportsRadio 610:

We are giving (him) a chance to rest and really heal up a little bit. Instead of the back and forth, on and off games, decided to give him a certain amount of time, I’m not sure what that is yet, but a week or so, two weeks or so, whatever it takes to calm down, and then from there we can try to manage it better throughout the season.

He’s been itching to get out there, and even when he played, he played with some pain. But, he played well. So, for him, it’s helping him (and) saving him from himself. … because he wants to play every game and doesn’t want to be on a minute restriction.

I think he was fabricating the amount of pain he was in. He was feeling a little bit more (pain) than what he said, but we told him to be honest and look at this like a marathon … and try to get him right for the home stretch.

Udoka acknowledged progress for veteran wing Dillon Brooks, who hasn’t played since straining his right oblique on Dec. 27.

In speaking to Matt Thomas of SportsTalk 790, Udoka offered hope that Brooks could return before Houston’s current road trip concludes on Wednesday in New York.

Regarding Brooks, Udoka said:

Dillon is starting to ramp it up a little bit more. He had been doing spot shooting, but certain movements were still bothering him.

I think he’s ramping it up and getting into some live action, soon, so we’re hoping to get him back within the next few games … to finish out this road trip.

The complete SportsTalk 790 interview can be listened to below.

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Rockets coach Ime Udoka sees elements of young Kawhi Leonard in Tari Eason

Ime Udoka was an assistant coach for years in San Antonio, and he sees elements of a “young Kawhi Leonard” in second-year Rockets forward Tari Eason.

For several seasons in the 2010s, Ime Udoka was an assistant coach in San Antonio on the staff of legendary head coach Gregg Popovich.

When those Spurs won their fifth and final NBA title of the Tim Duncan era in 2014, one of the promising young talents was forward Kawhi Leonard, who has since developed into a superstar.

Now a head coach himself in Houston, Udoka says a player on his 2023-24 Rockets reminds him of a younger version of Leonard.

Tari Eason, drafted No. 17 overall in the 2022 first round, entered the NBA known largely known for his defensive potential. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Leonard, who — after falling to No. 15 in the 2011 draft — wasn’t initially viewed as an elite prospect due to questions about his upside on offense. But Leonard eventually broke through, and Eason would love follow a similar template.

Via courtside reporter Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network, the team’s regional television broadcast partner, Udoka said this regarding Eason and his impact on the Rockets:

He has a unique ability to impact games. I think he’s No. 1 on our team, from a statistical standpoint, in how he impacts games and winning, when he’s playing.

He does it in his own way. He’s a guy that you don’t even have to call a play for. He’s going to impact the game on the defensive end, and offensively, he’s shooting the ball well. He’s learning to grow in those areas. Then the steals, and the loose balls and the 50/50 balls, all the things he comes up with are very unique. He’ll get a crazy one every game that makes you kind of shake your head.

I had a young Kawhi Leonard, and (Tari) is the closest thing that reminds me of what Kawhi did back in the day … just in taking balls, and getting ones that other guys don’t get. Those are plays that ignite the team, give us a bunch of energy, and it gets him going, as well.

In 22 games this season, Eason is averaging 9.8 points (46.6% FG, 36.0% on 3-pointers), 7 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 21.8 minutes. He’s been on a slight minutes limitation due to a stress reaction suffered in his left leg during the 2023-24 preseason, and he’s missed several games in recent days due to the lingering issue.

The complete interview can be viewed below.

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Rockets injury updates: Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason remain sidelined

#Rockets forwards Dillon Brooks (right oblique strain) and Tari Eason (left lower leg soreness) have now been sidelined for six and three games, respectively.

HOUSTON — Including their absences for Saturday’s home matchup versus Milwaukee, Houston forward Dillon Brooks (right oblique strain) and Tari Eason (left lower leg soreness) have been sidelined for six and three games, respectively.

It’s a tough situation for head coach Ime Udoka, whose Rockets (17-16) remain without arguably their two best defenders.

Eason has struggled with occasional leg soreness since suffering a stress reaction during the preseason. He has frequently been listed as questionable to play: Houston decided after each shootaround or pregame workout whether that game is doable for him to play.

The current three-game absence, however, is the longest he’s been consistently out since suffering the injury.

On Monday, Udoka said Eason was limited to about 25-to-27 minutes per game, in what can effectively be described as a load management plan. Since then, he hasn’t been able to play at all.

As for Brooks, here’s what Udoka said Friday:

He’s getting shots up, and he’s finally starting to move a little bit more. That’s the next step. Some of that movement can strain the oblique, a little bit.

The catch-and-shoot is fine. It’s what he does defensively, and shooting on the move, that’s the next progression.

After Saturday’s game, Houston heads out for a six-game Eastern Conference road trip starting Monday night in Miami.

The timetable for Brooks and Eason returning to the lineup remains unclear. But with both players being evaluated on a daily basis, they’re expected to travel with the team — with the hope they will be available at some point on the trip.

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