Ranking the No. 1 Options on the Four Remaining Playoff Teams | The Ryen Russillo Podcast

Ryen Russillo is joined by Tim Legler of ESPN to rank the top options from each of the four teams remaining in the NBA playoffs. They then discuss Anthony Edwards vs. Jayson Tatum, as well as Kyrie Irving’s passive offensive approach this postseason.
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[@WenbanMtn]

Legs has some of the best takes. So knowledgable and unbiased, it's refreshing

[@BuckFieri]

At this point, there are probably more people actively rooting against the Celtics than positively rooting for another remaining team.

[@jofieji5312]

Na definitely rooting for them now. Wolves are boring and foul incessantly.

[@marc-gomes]

Anthony Edwards over Tatum is pure hate, delusion, and disrespect. AE’s best playoff run over the last few weeks isn’t even as good as Tatum’s playoff median or average. What are we talking about? 1. Luka 2. Tatum 3. Edwards 4. Halliburton (and you can debate 3-4)

[@mrdylanja]

The crazy part about this list, is that if we're talking final possession bucket getters, then Kyrie is probably number 2.

[@adverseinperpetuity]

Agreed.

[@Edd-zd5wb]

Lol.

[@Edd-zd5wb]

Who compares batmans with Robins?

[@mrdylanja]

@@Edd-zd5wb who compares sports to comic books? Somebody must cheer for one of the other three.

[@Edd-zd5wb]

@@mrdylanja literally every single person ever

[@23thexfactor]

Tim Legler is the fucking best

[@pepperjack2410]

Last night was a prime example of what Legs was talking about with Tatum and Brown. Tatum probably had the better game overall but Brown just goes alpha for stretches and absolutely puts the team on his back. Tatum would be getting cooked today (and still kinda is) if Brown didn't hit that big balls 3 to force OT. There were like 4 different plays at critical moments where it felt like he was doing everything in his power to sell.

[@wklguy2376]

not just probably lol. Tatum was +20 in 45 mins, the team was -15 in the 7.5 mins he sat. the team would not have even had to get into the clutch like that if the Jaylen + the bench lineup didn't evaporate the double digit lead everytime Tatum sits. he was only really bad for like 6 mins in the 4th which of course will be magnified, but of course that will be the only stretch of the game people will focus on with him

[@Bluespel]

100% agree brother. If brown missed that shot we wouldve immediately seen first take come up with “Is haliburton the best player in this series?” Which is comedy but Tatum missed 4/6 crucial shots down the end and we all gonna remember that wide open three he missed at the top of the key. But i think this was the pacers game to win and they lost it but we know boston loses every game 2 so lets see what happens.

[@jamargraham6707]

Funny thing is Tatum had 36 12 and 5 with 2 steals

[@mxhughes]

​@@jamargraham6707 12-26 from the field,2-8 from 3 but went 10-12 from the line meaning he had 26 pts through 26 fg attempts that's bad fam

[@Chrism7178]

Celtics stink with Tatum off the court

[@KK-pm7ud]

The difference between Ant and Harden is that Ant pushes the others on his team to get better mentally. Imagine Harden on the Timberwolves with Kat. It would be a disaster.

[@DLNOT425]

Ant is not getting enough credit for that because of his age when he should be getting praised. He is the best teammate left in the playoffs I don't think Dallas players like to play with Luka like that bc of his style and how he carries himself.

[@CoolHandLuke196]

​@@DLNOT425 you're just talking out of your ass, you have no idea

[@anthonyhall9299]

@@DLNOT425😂 🤡clown take… oh and your boy Ant looks weak mentally 🤷🏻‍♂️. Enjoy this team getting blown up after Luka sweeps you

[@howardthompson3543]

Wouldn't it be terrible if a team won the NBA finals by sharing the ball.

[@obamasjumper]

legs is NOT a star wars guy 😂

[@DaveReddy]

Star Wars was based on "political things" ... guess he was busy playing ball.

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

He seemed fucking offended

[@ryanflynn7157]

rlly good 2 great sports media guys 💯

[@philliphart6327]

Smart discussion. I subscribed.

[@je5406]

Russillo and Legeler. Two of the best in the business

[@Lena-ks5ni]

When I see Tim, I start watching....worth my time, always!

[@lukechiarieri3269]

Love how they referenced his first half this postseason (6 points for first half) and he was so efficient and so amazing first half of game 1

[@AidanXavier988]

Legs! More coverage the better, man is likeable and knowledgeable

[@jethrojacinto2798]

That Tatum slander stems from the fact that his team has always been either really good or just good, which is obviously not his fault because it's not his control. The fact that Luka/Ant/SGA and those guys are easily the best players on their respective teams because the second guy doesn't even come close to them like how Brown is to Tatum. JT doesn't have to do everything for the Celtics because he doesn't have to.

[@alexlol3260]

and because hes not good enough to also, JTs version of doing everything is demanding for the ball and taking a kobe post fade or the toughest most contested stepback 3 😂

[@nomorepartiezz]

I mean Luka has literally one of, if not the most skilled player to ever play the game and a guaranteed 25 points on near 50/40/90 splits every year on his team. And he’s still undeniably the number one option and best player on the team. There’s levels to it

[@Youdontknowme8888]

It’s just easier to clown on Tatum. Like texting Kobe? You’re not guy pal

[@slightexag]

it's not just that he doesn't have to but that he can't dominate. he has a high floor and a low ceiling as a superstar

[@jamieyancey6820]

Tatum leads his team in points, rebs, and assist lol

[@rayvondorsey3317]

These facts I totally agree with right

[@taylor7264]

there are a ton of great narratives in this series! ofc the tatum thing, haliburton on the rise, pp v tj, nesmith's chip on his shoulder, heavy weight offensive battle #1 n 2 in the league etc...i think the outsized expectations for boston robbed us of a chance to really sell the drama in this series. but game 1 shook every1 awake!

[@Mr.MooseTheGreat]

The gap of talent and impact between the top 10 players in the world is so incredibly small that it’s impossible to rank them and not piss people off

[@cybersub4693]

Legs is the best analyst in the game

[@rayvondorsey3317]

Jaylen Brown, Kyrie, Cat, Pascal

[@scaretactictales5895]

Put Legz in your thumbnail. Would of clicked on it awhile ago

[@rayvondorsey3317]

Luka, Tatum, ant, hali

[@jamargraham6707]

JT is playing the right way right now

[@jstdun]

Did you watch the game last night? Dude was awful in the fourth. Redeemed in overtime but that was more Indy's doing than his.

[@emilem12]

@@jstdunsure but his team put them in the position they were in for the 4th. Celtics were up 13 before Tatum went to the bench. They were down 5 when he checked back in. Tatum’s impact goes way beyond his shooting percentage.

[@Chrism7178]

@@emilem12 these clowns dont know ball

[@saadkhaled6314]

Ryen's face every time he has something to say while listening to Tim is so obvious lol

[@ryankay0]

russillo and fucking legs to fucking gether what an incredible surprise fuck yes awesome hoops talk

[@MrMathsimon]

Love or Hate Leg's take, the guy at least can explain his picks. Wanna talk X&Os why? He can give you that. The others just really give hot takes then fold when challenged by real knowledgeable players.

[@jamespratt7526]

11:48 It’s wild how often Gobert isn’t even discussed. Y’all asked the question between Kyrie, Brown and then KAT. KAT isn’t even 2 on the Wolves. Gobert is absolutely a valuable #2 that should be in this convo. He just does it the other end of the floor and folks obsess over offence

[@themagicman225]

Much of Rudy’s impact doesn’t show up in the box score. Analytics pick it up though. The wolves usually depend on KAT showing up offensively to even be competitive, and defensively he’s been great this year too. To me that makes him the number 2 guy

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

@@themagicman225why bring up the box score? We are talking about watching the game, not looking at stats 🙄

[@themagicman225]

@@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx I watch the games too. Most of what Rudy does is visible.

[@anthonyhall9299]

@@themagicman225visibly bad when the opponent is any good 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@thegreat1885]

There’s no way you watched that game last night and thought Tatum wasn’t the best player. That 3rd quarter stretch when he sat after he upped the lead to around 13 points mostly by himself was a bad stretch for Boston and a bad decision by Joe Mazzulla

[@ThePh4ntomHammer]

What are you smoking they were awful without tatum in😊

[@mitchkrueger813]

Tim Legler is that fkn guy!!

[@banditonehundred]

The Tatum disrespect needs to stop PRONTO!

[@David-iv6je]

Ah, Tim Legler with that ESPN machismo.

[@charlielyden5756]

How many All Stars’s legacies is KAT going to leapfrog if they win the title?

[@ernestoplaganas9564]

Jaylen Brown is my favorite NBA player

[@charold3]

Tatum is talented/gifted/athletic enough to be the best player on a championship team, but he hasn’t shown it yet. This might be his year. But it could also be Luka’s year or Ant’s or Halliburton’s. If Celtics don’t win ring this year, they’ll be much more criticized than the others and for good reason.

[@DrScooterJones]

I think Legs likes Star Wars

[@waylonmatthews9495]

Towns could win finals mvp.

[@FruitMonger360]

That would be WILD

[@antmj2335]

He won’t though. They can only win if ant does what he’s been doing this playoffs. 29-6-6 on 50% shooting

[@je5406]

​@@antmj2335 seems sustainable

[@howardthompson3543]

If Towns were to dominate the finals, the narrative would make Ant the finals MVP.

[@Chrism7178]

@@antmj2335 Towns is a special player too😒

[@MaxJulien2701]

Tatum's performance down the stretch was wild to watch. It was so bad, I couldn't believe. Luckily for him, Indy had an all time choke job and Tatum redeemed himself in OT

[@kevinc8955]

Tatum can’t impose his will on even lesser defenders. Seems too slow, handles too poor, settles for bad shots too quickly, or a combination of all of them. He can get 30 some nights but it’s never going to be pretty or easy.

[@tyriantaylor711]

He did it the first 3 quarters before

[@bigshotrob5778]

Yep. Thank god Brown hit that shot. Tatum s performance late in the fourth quarter would be all people would be talking about today.

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

@@kevinc8955I think you might be blind or just don’t know ball

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

@@kevinc8955like did you just start watching Tatum in the 4th quarter of that game? Didn’t watch him the last 6 years tear up every single defense? I really think you’re dumb

[@graysonbaker9053]

russillo dropping bangers td

[@Von199X]

Nah he's wrong T Wolves is a mystery box anyone on that team could win Finals MVP Rusillo is glazing Ant so much lately. KAT could easily average a 25 point double double against Boston

[@ethanbrown4628]

Everyone has been glazing him. He definitely hit a hot streak right before playoffs. Do people not remember all of the tour dates he was shooting this year lol. Ant is great but anointing him the next mj is not going to fare well for him

[@stephenl7756]

talk about how Tatum utterly dominated ot scoring and won that game. I feel like even if he scores 50 and 18 rebounds people would be killing him. But Russillo will heap praise on Embiid when all that guy does is choke. It’s like dude your from Boston we get it. But the hating on this kid when he’s accomplished more then anyone left in the playoffs this year besides maybe Kyrie is comically funny

[@slobberkissintl3548]

Remember when Danny Green was probably finals mvp before Ray Allen hit that shot

[@jaredgilbey3598]

I mean he had 3 points in that game 6

[@culturecurrency773]

No lol

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

You mean Tony Parker?

[@Weebei]

I'd go Tatum over ANT right now. Not enough tape on file for reliable toughness down the stretch. Tatum has the Hilary Clinton energy, safe energy, but nothing to get too excited over.

[@connercolter689]

Legs rules

[@cjaimez5895]

The narratives around Tatum are wild, they act like Edwards isn't surrounded by elite defensive talent & Luka is playing with Kyrie. Everybody talks about White as if anyone was trying to trade for dude. The Cs developed White (over the last few yrs)/JT/JB. Also Tatum plays the both sides of the ball and is a clear better defender than Luka, Tyrese and is more verstaile than Ant. Tatum also consistently beats Embid, has beaten Giannis twice, the Heat who beat every other East team, KD, like come on.

[@KyleJoseph-vo6vp]

Every single team in the league would want white.. and teams weren't asking about white because the dude wasn't available..

[@cjaimez5895]

@@KyleJoseph-vo6vp clearly he was, and also people were slandering him after the Finals loss, he grew within the system.

[@drehitemup9904]

Luka Tatum Ant Haliburton

[@amazonfinds9157]

😂😂😂😂bummmm

[@Musika809]

Let’s keep that Tatum’s Hate media 😂😅🤣😂😅

[@alexfraierson7963]

Y’all see Ryan face, when he said if Dallas win Luka will be the MVP! Wow what about Irving.

[@Memo_323]

Ant has done it for one season. Tatum has had some monster playoff games. Come on y’all. Stop with the nonsense

[@soogs546]

Zero acknowledgement of Tatum's dominant first three quarters and 10 points in OT including the dagger three. Not to mention 12 boards and savage defense the entire game, including smothering Hali on the final shot of regulation. Dude had 36, 12 with 4 assists and three steals, with a plus/minus of +20. Celtics were -15 in the few minutes he was off the court. But let's only focus on the two shots he missed. Ant goes 6/24 and he's the next coming of Jordan

[@MaxJulien2701]

Right now it's Luka clearly. Long term, it can very well be Ant because of the 2 way ability. Tatum also has that elite 2 way potential, but the playoff consistency has not been there

[@Sticktothemodels]

Tatum is modern day Elvin Hayes. Monster numbers team is way better with him, but not exactly great in big moments although he has been at times

[@dubdub680]

Yeah ant being black has nothing to do with the media pushing ant as the face of the nba when he's not on lukas level

[@kevingeorge7843]

Dude said “I’ve never seen Kyrie want to win like this before” DOG he literally has a ring against the 73 win Warriors…… ☠️☠️

[@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx]

Kyrie didn’t play this hard on defense in 2016.

[@kevingeorge7843]

@@xXSprMgaAwsmFxyHtXx didn’t have to either

[@TheUltimateRage]

JB just scored 40 for the Celtics, so Ryen is trippin' about it being "clear" who the better player is between JB and JT. JT hasn't even had a really good game yet in these playoffs!

[@joeknapp9162]

Kyrie could easily win FMVP

[@Kinovue]

😊

[@Joes35]

It’s Luka first and it’s not really a question. I’d definitely take Ant over Tatum at this point. More athletic, better mentality than Tatum. I like Jayson but he doesn’t seem to have that tenacity that Ant has on the court.

[@user-tu8dk1dh5o]

Tatum a better defender, better efficiency, more versatile, more of a winner, better passer, higher ball IQ, elavates teammates, higher +/-

[@Joes35]

⁠​⁠@@user-tu8dk1dh5oover who? Better passer than who? All that is well and good but he’s older and plays on a much better team. Tatum isn’t some elite passing wing. Ant attacks the basket better and has more physicality to his game overall. Save the efficiency nonsense, his efficiency drops every single post season. Lmao higher bball IQ and makes teammates better? Are you talking about Luka here? Because that’s not Tatums profile as a player whatsoever.

[@TCrimson05t]

Is Tatum the number one on his team? The fact that y'all don't have a clear answer to that question is why other teams get knocked out the playoffs. It's because they don't have anybody else that's anywhere near that talented. It's the best problem to have. It's almost as if this isn't golf or boxing but a team sport.

[@karimw.9954]

Love Tim Legler but he can be extremely biased at times. If there was a question as to who is better between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown then why is there hardly any dialogue amongst the media and fans about Jaylen Brown not showing up in big spots instead of all the blame being placed on Jayson Tatum when the Celtics fail

[@WheresWaldo05]

Wow. Just found the one and only human on planet earth in my 40 years that doesn't like star wars. Every person i ever heard say they won't like it, watches it, then loves it. Or at bare minimum likes it. But usually most people fall in love with that universe. Disliking star wars? Seems a bit weird.

[@Von199X]

KAT prolly averages 30 in this series

[@themaingujdek1]

Well Kai defenitely doesn't eat meat.

[@sjw4life546]

I'm a person that values two-way players a lot, so I would put ant over luka. Sacrilegious, I know.

[@SirANK8]

Not sacrilegious, just wrong. Luka is just better at basketball than Ant.

[@alexlol3260]

Tatum is such a frustrating player to watch, if only him and JB could trade mentality

[@KyleJoseph-vo6vp]

Tatum better

[@alexlol3260]

@@KyleJoseph-vo6vp yeah.. i just said trade their mentality and aggressive nature that JB has

[@SidelineSteve]

This playoffs: Ant Luka Tatum Haliburton Overall: Luka Tatum Ant Haliburton

[@alexlol3260]

ant over luka is still insane

[@amazonfinds9157]

Smart

[@SidelineSteve]

@@alexlol3260 like it or not a fully healthy Edwards has been better than a v beat up Luka to this point lol

[@Lena-ks5ni]

@@SidelineSteve Luka will play till the last breath just to put Edwards on his place ...behind him. He's just that crazy...

[@SidelineSteve]

@@Lena-ks5ni I’m taking Luka over Ant. Just to this point has Edwards been better

[@ANTYQUE]

This mug Legler don't sleep!

[@ericsdchmidt2426]

Game 6 in Philly last yr Tatum did same shit 5/19

[@jacktheleper4468]

Luka is a top 5 defender left in the playoffs according to statistics. Youll never hear racist ass NBA media talk about it bc they hate euros

[@stuartmccleary]

I don’t understand how he can think Luka would be clear cut finals mvp when Kyrie has been balling all playoffs. 2 game winners and scoring well throughout every game I could see it

[@giorgioIP]

he averaged 15 ppg against okc man what are you talking about 😭

[@caesar.5252]

he had 3 games this series with 12 or less points wtf are you talking about?

[@eking5715]

​@@giorgioIP Kyrie was the best player in round 1 but I believe he doesn't want to out shine Luka. Kyrie will play his role.

[@stuartmccleary]

@@giorgioIP he is avg 25 ppg for the playoffs. And he is there closer. What part is confusing?

[@stuartmccleary]

@@caesar.5252 and he is still avg 25 ppg for the playoffs. What’re you talking about?

[@Joeshiesty286]

Mavs fans, we’re in the final 4 soak it in lol

[@aaronperry3950]

Karl Towns, Finals MVP is gonna break so many brains

[@antmj2335]

KAT would have to start being the primary option. That won’t happen consistently for the wolves to be able to win the title. Ant is averaging 29-6-6 this playoffs on 50% shooting

[@tylermckenzie7603]

He'll foul out of 2 games before he wins a finals let alone finals MVP

[@SuperSikarlo]

Kyrie is better than tatum

[@amazonfinds9157]

This guys hates ant

[@tylermckenzie7603]

He's just giving credit to more accomplished players. Luka took a Mavs team to WCF at 23 years old that had no business being there. Ant actually has a squad around him

[@lenzoltan]

To win a championship you need an MVP. Luka is the only MVP left in the playoffs.

[@aaronperry3950]

last I checked, nobody left in the playoffs has any MVPs!

[@mbolenku2034]

Ryan Russilo is a Tatum/Celtics hater.

[@alexlol3260]

realist*

[@King_JappyJoe]

Interesting how they walk on eggshells when criticizing Jayson Tatum always dissapearing in the playoffs, but Kyrie, whos been a huge factor in championships before and is playing amazing gets completely picked apart..... Im sure these takes have EVERYTHING to do with sports 😂😂

[@TerpsMatterPodcast]

He sucked in Boston, he sucked in the Nets and he was bad last year with the mavs. They really weren't bad takes

[@matheuscouri2225]

Ok so I will say it: Tatum is soft. He is a finesse player stucked in a atletic body. He thinks he is Kobe but he has Rudy Goberts body frame. When he realizes it, he will win.

[@KyleJoseph-vo6vp]

You make zero sense and don't know basketball

[@matheuscouri2225]

@@KyleJoseph-vo6vp thank you. Also screw you

[@jmipre1985]

Russilo lmfao

[@ashamsthomas2490]

The bald guy definitely doesn't watch games

[@dylanlafontaine4255]

First 🎉

[@dan31red]

Two of the biggest Kyrie haters ever

[@jmipre1985]

Luka impacts the game in the fact that he is also the worst defensive player on the floor every game.

[@TerpsMatterPodcast]

That whole ant stuff is aging like milk

[@jeppep95]

Ant is the best twoway player

[@agayactornamedmichaeldougl6289]

Luka is better

[@drewbreezy5854]

I actually think it's a credit to Tatum that Jaylen Brown is better than him as a player.

[@KyleJoseph-vo6vp]

No he's not

[@MaxJulien2701]

Legs is wrong. If Tatum or Harden did what Ant did in the last game, they'd also get praised because Ant took the challenge on defense to stop Murray when his shot was off. He still effected the game positively. With Harden, he would have a bad night and literally be a cone on defense lol

[@SidelineSteve]

We're on two dif internets then. I've seen Tatum get flamed and he's been better than that awful showing

[@tyriantaylor711]

He scored 30 on under 40% shooting and people were bashing him

[@martinjohn9904]

Tatum is going to cook Luca if they meet in the finals. Anthony Edwards isn't nearly as good as Tatum. Tatum has to ring a bell that Luca hasn't rung either. Tatum is an all NBA two way player. Luca steals a bad pass and all of a sudden He's an all-time defender. It's ridiculous Luca doesn't play defense. I hate all these phony analysts. At least Legler is astute enough to realize he's better than Edwards. Rusillo isn't as good an analyst. I also think he's a little boring

[@THE_BEAR_JEW]

Luka > Ant > Tatum > Hali

[@turneryoung905]

Ant > Tatum

[@jamargraham6707]

When Ant scores 51 in a close out game or goes on the road and out duels Giannis on his home floor to fight off elimination then we can talk about him being better than Tatum. How many all NBA 1st team does Ant have? I like Ant game but too many prisoners of the moment.

[@IsaiahB0]

I’m hype absolutely

[@TylerAnderson-xl6hb]

Definitely.

[@japethegrape1146]

@@jamargraham6707Ant: 29/6/6 on 50/40/84 Latum: 25/10/6 on 43/28/86 Tatum is playing worse than Ant, has more help than Ant, and is having his worst playoff run ever at a moment where it needs to be a legacy run for him

[@japethegrape1146]

@@jamargraham6707while Ant is having a stellar playoff run, when his team needs it, and they literally can’t win a series of he’s not playing like this for most of the games. Celtics have had a cakewalk even with Tatum shooting with a blindfold on

[@imthecloser111]

Ant changed the trajectory of the worst franchise historically in the NBA. He has already gone as far as KG did during his entire tenure in Minnesota.

[@claudebradshaw1730]

Luka did the same with the mavs lol

[@nosaidubor2340]

Dirk won a title already man​@@claudebradshaw1730

[@Chrism7178]

Tatum is better than Luka

[@boogieakaboogie]

ant is #1...... luka is unbelievable but I don't understand how he don't need to win but Tatum dose. luka has kyrie and keeps getting looked at as a top 5 guy Tatum was looked at as top 10 but somehow Tatum needs to win championship and be finals mvp and luka is just set he's just above reproach he don't need to win.... lol hilarious luka been off shot terrible and Dallas won in spite of him and he still gets all the credit

[@aanderson7983]

Luka is the new Harden... high ball usage, low defense, and highly dependent on refs. Good thing Kyrie can bail him out when he is tossing 3s off the backboard and having the worst plus minus on the team. Keep stuffing those stats.