The 2022 NBA Draft is not one that’s getting nearly the same pub as last years’ for Cleveland Cavaliers fans, but it still is one where the Wine and Gold can land one, if not multiple rotation players.
The Cavaliers did not make the postseason this year, which was slightly disappointing, with how much they improved this season; on a positive note, they’ll retain their first-rounder, that is likely to be the 14th selection.
In the Caris LeVert trade with the Indiana Pacers back in February, Cleveland’s first-rounder included as part of the compensation in the deal was lottery-protected for this season, and next season. Indy would have Cleveland’s first if they the Cavs make the postseason next year, as a side note.
With this year in mind, in which the draft is set to commence on June 23, for Cleveland’s first-rounder, prospects such as Jeremy Sochan, Kendall Brown, Ochai Agbaji and Bennedict Mathurin come to mind, along with Jaden Hardy and maybe Jalen Duren. I also don’t think if he’s there, Cleveland should discount what TyTy Washington Jr. could bring.
Perhaps the Cavaliers look to trade their first-round selection for a proven veteran impact player, with maybe Cedi Osman/Dylan Windler as piece/pieces involved, too. We’ll have to see.
From there, the Cavs do have two second-round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft as well, with one via the Miami Heat near the end of the draft, and one slotted in at #39.
When it comes to that likely late-lotto selection, though, it would seem that the Cavaliers could very well go with a wing, ideally with two-way upside and viability regarding size to be multi-positional. That’d be at least for rotational stretches and possibly develop into a starter long term, looking onward.
We touched on some of those guys, but another that could be in that realm is Tari Eason, who we’ll take a closer look at here.
There’s plenty to like about Eason, a logical NBA Draft prospect this year for the Cavs.
With Eason, there’s a lot to be a fan of with his play for the Cavaliers, in particular. He transferred from playing his first collegiate season at Cincinnati, as one of a number of Bearcats that did so, and moved on via the transfer portal to LSU.
With that, let’s examine how Eason demonstrated encouraging play on offense at LSU, and how he could potentially help the Cavs.
Eason’s play at LSU was promising, but can the shooting keep improving?
Eason showed flashes as a rotational guy, defensive impact player and energy guy that made some things happen in his 19.6 minutes per contest at UC as a freshman, but his game took off in his sophomore season with the Tigers. Eason then had a bigger role, and while he started only four games, did have 16.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per outing, and showed marketed improvement as a three-point shooter.
In his freshman year with the Bearcats, he hit 24.1 percent from three on 1.3 attempts per game, whereas with the Tigers, hit 35.9 percent from three on 2.4 attempts per game. His free throw shooting went from 57.4 to 80.3 percent, too, and with more opportunities, got to the line a robust 5.7 times per contest with LSU.
The 6-foot-8, 216-pound Eason is an exceptional athlete that is a terror in the open floor, and as a play finisher at times and as a driver in some set situations, he’s an outstanding finisher at the rim. He can make his share of plays while finishing through contact, a la Lamar Stevens (who showed that regularly this season), and Eason is a bouncy player that can get jams to go down, even when defenders meet him at the summit.
There was also, as we noted, growth from Eason as a perimeter shooter, albeit not at high volume, and from deep, that’s via the catch-and-shoot variety. The form needs work in those situations, too, and even with noticeable growth there at LSU, it’s difficult to say if that will translate with regularity at the NBA level; it was encouraging, still.
Maybe the Cavaliers could get more of that out of him; the off-bounce shooting might not ever come, however, and he’s a virtual non-factor on-ball going toward the basket with his off hand.
From there, moving on to the defensive end, Eason could really be a difference-maker early on, and that’s also part of the allure with him for Cleveland as a possible target in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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.