These NBA playoffs have been memorable since day one, and they’ve given us some of the most iconic postseason performances in the history of the NBA.
With that in mind, Jay Williams pointed out the top-five scariest players still in contention for the Larry O’Brien trophy, snubbing LeBron James off the list and choosing some rather unsurprising names.
.@RealJayWilliams‘ top five scariest players remaining in the playoffs:
1. Jimmy Butler
2. Nikola Jokić
3. Jayson Tatum
4. Jamal Murray
5. Anthony Davis pic.twitter.com/nUE8PMv4oQ— First Take (@FirstTake) May 19, 2023
At number five, Williams chose Anthony Davis, citing that the only reason he’s not ranked higher is that he’s got that on-and-off switch and sometimes lacks the intensity one would love to see from such a dominant player like him.
Williams later chose Jamal Murray and praised him for having that “Mamba Mentality” and determination to take over in the fourth quarter, knocking big shots down the stretch with that killer mindset as the perfect secondary scorer.
At number three, Williams gave the nod to Jayson Tatum, lauding him for that legendary 51-point performance in Game 7 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers — the highest-scoring individual performance in a Game 7 in NBA history.
However, just like Davis, Williams believes Tatum needs to be more consistent and aggressive.
Unsurprisingly, Nikola Jokic made the cut at number two.
Williams called him the best offensive player in the playoffs and pointed out the fact that he’s averaging over 30 points and 15 boards while getting triple-doubles and shooting over 50% from the field and beyond the arc.
However, as great as all of them have been, none has been as scary as Jimmy Butler, who he chose as the “ultimate dog” and leader and the last guy you want to come across in the postseason.
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