In the previous edition of the 2022 NBA Draft Breakdown series, I took a look at one of my favorite offensive players in the class in Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams. Now, I want to flip the script and look at one of my favorite defenders in the class and someone that I believe can make an All-Defensive team sooner rather than later. Enter LSU’s Tari Eason.
Like another potential lottery pick and defensive ace in Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan, Eason actually didn’t start many games for the Tigers, only starting in four of his 33 game appearances. Still, Eason led the team in scoring, averaging 16.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the floor and 35.9% from beyond the arc.
Outside of his impressive stats, Eason really stood out at the NBA Combine due to his remarkable frame. Standing at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a near-9-foot standing reach at 217 pounds, Eason has the stone-cut frame to stick as a defender in the league. Eason’s most remarkable physical trait is the size of his hands at 11 inches, which ranked first in the class among players tested at the NBA Combine. In fact, that hand size ranks higher than any player tested in last year’s combine. It’s this trait that causes scouts to compare Eason to another defensive ace in the league.
Take a look at these measurements:
6-foot-7 height, 8-foot-10 standing reach, 227 pounds, 7-foot-3 wingspan, 11.25-inch hands. Can you guess who this may be?
If you guessed Kawhi Leonard, you are correct. Now compare those traits to Eason. Obviously, physical measurements aren’t the end-all, be-all of a player’s grade. But they do work as supplementary material for what we see on the tape, and Eason’s tape is among the best of the best on the defensive end.
It’s always fun when a defensive-minded forward isn’t just scavenging his blocks around the rim and that’s Eason’s specialty: altering jump shooters. Eason has quick feet, is a smart defender and importantly recovers well when biting. His recovery speed means he’s able to fight for offensive boards and he averaged more of those than any other projected lottery pick not named Mark Williams or Keegan Murray. Eason’s hand size allows him to be a proficient on-ball defender and he creates steal after steal on the defensive end.
When drafting a defender, one part of the equation is getting a guy that has good physical tools and can match up with whoever, as we can see Eason does. But the other part of the equation is effort and Eason is not lacking in that department in the slightest. Going over the film, I saw time and time again that Eason was the first guy to the ball and didn’t hesitate to use both hands to get scrappy. If you’re looking to totally transform your defense, Eason and Sochan are the two guys I trust most in this class to do that.
As for the offensive end, Eason has some intriguing upside. Naturally, Eason’s defensive stardom allows him to get out in transition quickly after a block or a steal and that’s where the majority of his offensive success comes from. Plenty of Eason’s tape is filled with slams and other above-the-rim action due to his huge hands and he gets to that spot at a lightning-quick speed.
Despite playing just 24 minutes per game, Eason scored nearly 17 points a night. Per 40 minutes, that’s about 28 points. While Eason is still raw on that end, there is enough evidence to show that Eason is a fantastic driver and even better finisher through contact, absorbing fouls when needed. My favorite Eason stat is his absurdly high 51.5 free-throw rating, which ranks higher than any other lottery pick and is higher than any other potential first-rounder outside of Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia and Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell. Eason took just under six free-throw attempts per game and converted on over 80% of those, suggesting some shooting upside.
It isn’t all perfect for Eason though. The LSU product is pretty much only effective offensively going to his right side and even then, Eason is an untrustworthy ball-handler despite how dynamic he can be when he gets to his spots. Eason averaged a measly 0.45 assist-to-turnover ratio complete with 2.2 turnovers per game. In order for Eason to ever evolve offensively, he’s going to have to take better care of the ball. As for the other improvement area, Eason’s shot form is not good right now. If I’m a team, I’m less concerned about this though if I trust my shooting coach.
In all, Eason is a guy that I believe is underrated throughout this entire process. I like his upside as much as I like Patrick Williams’ but most draft boards have him outside the lottery. If he does go outside the lottery, the Atlanta Hawks are a great fit. However, I’m holding out hope that the Charlotte Hornets are able to revamp their defense by selecting him and Mark Williams in tandem. Regardless, Eason is one of the best defenders in the entire class without a doubt.