Eason's intense playoff steals and improved ball security showcased his growth, but can his inconsistent three-point shooting secure a lucrative free agency deal?
Houston Rockets fourth year forward, Tari Eason presumably had high hopes for himself coming into this season. Not just because of his natural competitive nature, but it’s also a contract year for him.
While restricted free agency might make things easier in some aspects, it also complicates the re-signing process a bit too. On top of that, Eason’s up and down season makes it difficult to gauge his market.
I think his playoff performance definitely turned some heads as the defensive wing came away with 15 steals through six games. Obviously a small sample size, but averaging two and a half steals through two weeks is impressive regardless. Even more notable when it's in the highest pressure games of the season.
Looking at StatMuse, there's a number of improvements from his first playoff series last season to his showing this year. Despite playing almost twice as many minutes (18.9 to 32.5 minutes per game), his turnovers saw a substantial drop.
Every possession counts in the playoffs. Tari Eason gave the ball away half as many times this year, while getting just under twice as many steals. That alone goes to show how his plus/minus went from -27 to +10.
His three point shooting is obviously going to be a defining factor in his career, as every team wants their 3 and D wings. Unfortunately only making one out of every three triples isn't going to blow anyone away. I’m just happy he’s still shooting them with confidence.
All in all, I don’t think this postseason changed his future earnings too much. We saw some plays to get excited about, while other areas still need improvements. I’d expect him still get get offers in the range of 80-100 million dollars over four or five years.