There’s plenty to like about 2022 NBA Draft prospect Tari Eason for Cavs

Eason could have a significant defensive impact

In regards to the defensive end of floor, it’s clear that Eason could have a significant impact for the Cavaliers.

He’s a 6-foot-8 prospect that could hold up very well against opposing wings, as he can smother opposing ball handlers with his length, and he dictates to players where to go often with his frame and quick feet, even for his size. Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens do that pretty well, for instance, and similarly to them in that way, Eason does a quality job of not giving opponents a two-way go.

Eason is not a player that I’d regularly expect to be on primary playmakers that much early on, but with his quickness and shot contests, I could foresee him getting some stretches on them.

Against 3s and 4s, Eason should be well-suited to be a respectable player on defense, though, and his contests to shooters often altered them greatly in college.

Along with the on-ball abilities, Eason could be a particularly disruptive force as a team defender for Cleveland.

He had a whopping 1.9 steals per contest, in less than 25 minutes per game this season with LSU, and tacked on 1.1 blocks. Furthermore, he had 3.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per-40 minutes, which was something else.

In relation to him potentially with the Cavaliers, in lineups potentially with Evan Mobley and/or Jarrett Allen, Eason could provide another rotational rim protector, and his feel and strong hands as a stunter to drivers could make a difference in helping Cleveland get out and run. Eason also gets his hands on jump shots with closeouts a decent amount, too.

Now, a key problem with Eason, however, is that he needs to clean up his fouling. He had 6.8 fouls per-40 minutes through his two collegiate seasons, and that obviously played a role into why he was a starter often.

That being said, aggressive fouls I do believe you can live with, and with the Cavaliers, I still think the energy he could provide and defensive playmaking could outweigh potential fouling concerns.

Moreover, with Eason, there’s plenty of tools and traits that could lead to him being a very impactful player for the Cavs, and there’s a lot to like about him as a potential member of the team. But there are still some areas he’ll need to improve on, and the shooting has a ways to go on-ball, and it’s uncertain if the catch-and-shoot consistency will be there.

If he’s available for the Cavaliers, I couldn’t blame them for selecting Eason, though. And if that were to mean the likes of Cedi Osman and/or Dylan Windler could be moved before next season, and maybe Dean Wade or Lamar Stevens are not back or out of the rotation looking onward, oh well.