Ryan Hollins, Former NBA Center

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That's BetterHELP.com slash positive. Brian, how you been? Hey, how you doing?

Well, I'm doing fantastic. When you got to see that performance last night from the Suns, just what came to mind, because I could not believe that 17 to 0 run Denver went on at the end of the first quarter. I'd like to say it didn't surprise me, but man, they were mentally defeated. It looked like Coach Mike Malone, and I played for Mike over in Sacramento, he just figured out what it was, man. Strength in numbers, they were physical, they swarmed and they forced Durant and Booker to be playmakers, and they just really struggled.

This was the old school butt-whooping, you know? And they had a sense of urgency to say, hey, don't let the Suns get comfortable. We were beat by Booker and Durant before already, but I think they put the league on notice, they made a huge statement in that game. And we also can't make the mistake of, hey, the Nuggets did what they were supposed to do without De'Andre Ayton and Chris Paul out. I don't fault the Suns too much, it didn't surprise me or wasn't too much because they went all in, essentially leveraging their future to see if they could get it done with Chris Paul and Booker now. I think when organizations do so, you gotta pay your respects, because hey, you're not gonna have that talented of a player or that type of team with those opportunities too often, so when you have a shot, you gotta go for it. The Suns went for it, and unfortunately they just could not get healthy enough. And I thought heading into the playoffs that Denver was the better team, so I'm not surprised that Denver won the series, but the concerning part for me is this now back-to-back years for the Suns, where they got just steamrolled by the Mavericks in that Game 7, and then you just get destroyed by Denver. It's like, how don't they show up and make this at least a game for a half?

It's amazing to me. Yeah, well listen, it's a tough sample size because of the injuries. You know, you have Booker missing some time, CP missed time, and I think even bigger than Suns, I feel it's kind of tough sledding for Kevin Durant.

He is such an amazing player. I think if LeBron's 1A, he's 1B, and he hasn't been able to join forces or get a team or get the chemistry enough to win, because talent-wise, we looked at the Suns as being the favorites, we looked at the Nets as being that. I think you just want to see Kevin Durant having an equal shot to play, and it's tough. It's either chemistry or the injury bug that's kind of hitting these last few years, and I think the playoffs are good when you have the league's best end. And just unfortunate, I think this was injury, and I think from the Suns, man, they're getting back to the drawing board, they're trying new things, and it just didn't work out.

Ryan Hollins here with us. If we could get an honest conversation with Kevin Durant, do you think at this point he regrets leaving the Golden State Warriors? No, he had to do it his way. I think he'd do it the same way. I think he's humbled, I think he's paid homage and appreciative of his time there, but he knew that was Steph's championship and Steph's team, and he's so great. He's saying, look, man, the one goal was Kevin just did a championship, and don't be one of these mega stars that didn't have a ring, and when you retire, that's going to be a story. He did it in his prime. And now he's looking around and saying, I got to do it my way.

I got to do it with my own team. And I think that's what he's looking to find. But I don't think he'd have any regrets for leaving Golden State, and I think he's thankful for the time, and I think if he could do it all again, he would go to Golden State the same way. And I pause anybody who tries to say that they wouldn't. I can't stand the people that say they wouldn't go out and win a championship.

Guess what? Every Hooper, when we go and play pickup basketball, we put the best guys on our team, man. Well, that's why I wouldn't leave Ryan, because if I was him, that was controversial going to Golden State. I agree with you.

I don't crush him like a lot of other people do for doing that, but he should have just embraced that villain role and just gave the middle finger to everybody and kept on winning championships and just stayed where it was working. Now, look, me and you wouldn't leave. I agree. I wouldn't have left. I would have just stayed and kept on winning, because it's funny. You can even look at the wonders and say, man, that shot, that step couldn't get off. Imagine if that was KD one-on-one from the top of the key, and you got Steph and Klay on. They used to respect the wing.

That's a tough cover. They'd still be winning. If you exchange Wiggins right now for KD, they're still rolling.

You're right. They're still winning championships. But I do respect that Kevin wanted to do it on his own, the same way when LeBron went and left Miami and said, let me piece together the right pieces in Cleveland.

And he brought the city a championship in which they never seen it. Let me ask you this, Ryan Hollins. It feels like Nikola Jokic continues to get disrespected. Mark Jackson said he made a mistake, but he didn't put him in his top five for his MVP.

Mike Greenberg, even last night at halftime, says Denver doesn't have a marquee star. I'm like, what are we doing here talking about Nikola Jokic? Do you not get the respect that he's deserving from in the NBA? Because I don't get why people still haven't fully embraced how great of a team Denver is.

Yes and no. It's still a team without a championship. Jokic is a two-time MVP, and honestly, I don't know the criteria for MVP, but easily qualified to be a three-time MVP.

We just would have said, do we really want to do that? So the criteria for MVP, it really sways and it really flows along with narrative. He's not a flashy player. He doesn't have that Ja Morant, that Durant, that LeBron appeal, but he does get the job done, but he's never won a championship. So it's not like this guy is a two-time NBA champion and we're just like, ah man, he's not all he's cracked up to be. Hey, if you go, and I can only imagine Larry Bird's career and probably just see how many times Larry Legend had to prove himself. You know, saying, hey man, I'm for real, I'm good.

I don't care how tall, how fast, how athletic you are, I'm going to bust you up. So I think if the championships come there, we'll be looking at it in a completely different way. So I think it is fair. And obviously Denver is not Los Angeles, it's not Miami, it's not New York, so you've got to take Marcus also. And a lot of people, unfortunately, I think we'll say this, what's not fair is the people who don't watch the Nuggets who criticize him. You've got to at least watch him before you have your take.

And I think some analysts aren't watching him, they're just assuming what he is or what he isn't. And I never see him play a bad game. Like even when he doesn't have his best stuff, it still feels like he gets a triple-double. I think it's the assertiveness from him. So he's now stepping into, I think he's leveled up, man, he's gotten even better where if you're going to lead him one-on-one, he's just scoring at an insane clip. And I think everybody is giving DeAndre Aiden the blues from his series when he was guarding him and saying he couldn't guard him and he was just useless. Listen, he's been doing that to everybody. He has been doing that to everybody, but he's more aggressive and assertive with the ball than I have ever seen from him.

So I think that is the difference. But to your point, he does make the right play every time. Ryan Hollins here with us, getting to the other series from last night, Celtics and Sixers. The Celtics were begging at times for the Sixers to just go send them home and the Sixers advance to the conference finals. My biggest takeaway from this game and beat afterwards is complaining about not getting the ball the final six minutes.

He's right, but you're in your own building. This is your team. Demand the ball. Why didn't Joel Embiid do that last night? You know, he and Harden are so great and I think it's tough for Embiid at the center to, in those close moments, go out and get the ball. And I think they've got to figure out if it's going to be a high kick and roll or an elbow iso, you know, what is the best place? Because, you know, he's just, I mean, honestly, the Celtics are just doubling him off the bounce all series long. So it's like, hey, do I want to put the team in a situation where I'm getting double teamed and I don't have a great flow?

So I do agree. He's so great. He's got to touch the ball, but they're going to have to find something that works.

And I don't think anybody expected. I mean, the way Jason Tatum, he just got hot out of nowhere. Everybody's like, well, Tatum hasn't arrived yet to the game. Boo-yah, he's here.

So, I mean, he was absolutely on fire and he reminded everybody why the hype around Jason Tatum is. He lets you know, I'm still that dude. I'm still King Kong. I'm the best player on the floor right now. This series makes no sense.

Just when you start to think you have it figured out, it totally flips. Heading into Game 7, is it 50-50 in your mind? Do you give the edge to one team over another with what you've seen? I'll be lying to you if I said Boston didn't have the advantage there at home. They went to the finals last year. They're a little more experienced in this situation. And I think, you know, this is the first MVP for MB. This is, you know, James Harden and these guys jelling.

I think, you know, hey, how do they respond? You know, having the lead that they've had. So I think it's more so new territory from, even though they're up from the Sixers than it is from Boston. But, hey, this is the chance for that next step to be taken from the Sixers. But we've just seen more from Boston, so we will lean towards Boston. And clearly being at home is a huge advantage.

And guess what? The Sixers took one at home. So this is going to be a good one. Ryan Hollins here with us for a few more moments. How do you see Heaton and Nix playing on out tonight? I've got to think Jimmy Butler is going to advance to the conference finals tonight.

Yeah, he should. I think Jimmy is going to know. He's going to turn it on and be super Jimmy.

He's going to put his cape on. It's expected. And, you know, you don't want to play around and find yourself in a Game 7. You know, there have been plenty of teams that have been walked down.

And you don't want to be one of them. You don't want to go back on another team's floor. So I think Jimmy Butler is going to have to take care of business. Honestly, for the Knicks, this is a tough matchup for them.

You know, the Heat plays so similar. They're tough. They're hard-nosed. They grab. They hold.

They do a lot of little things. But I think Jimmy Butler is going to have to be that guy. And I think they'll be prepared. I think Spill got caught off guard from the 48 minutes from New York's guy. So I think Tibbs obviously won that. But I think you'll see even more desperation here from the Heat. Yeah, Brunson on one ankle was sensational in the other game. Warriors-Lakers, who are you rolling with tonight as the Lakers look to get to the Conference Finals?

Oh my goodness, putting me up against them, man. It is crazy to see because Golden State has struggled. Anthony Davis has been up and down as confusing or hard for any of us analysts to kind of predict. I think I'm going to go, oh man, a Game 6 play?

Golly, there's so many factors here. Tonight I'm going to lean towards the Lakers. I think with Wiggins, you know, a possible no-show, he's going to be doing a great job on LeBron James. And if he doesn't play or he's 50-50, LeBron James is going to be free to get in the lane. And maybe if it's not him making the play, he's going to make sure other guys get looks and it's going to initiate a lot of offense. I'm going to lean Lakers because of Wiggins and there's no one to slide over. Or if Draymond has to slide over and guard LeBron, who's going to guard A.D.?

And if A.D. comes up, I'm sure he's hearing everybody hee-hee and ha-ha'ing about him, he's going to have to show up in a major way. Last thing I'll ask you, Ryan Hollins, I know you do the Rockets games as well. They hired Emay Odoka as their next head coach.

How'd you react to that one? I'm excited, man. Emay is certified as a head coach, no one questions that. He commands respect. We've got a young group that's looking to take that next step and an organization that's ready to win. And I think by going out and hiring Emay, it showed a real commitment to winning here in Houston. So I'm excited, man, and I think we have as talented a young group as anybody. And I'm sure it's just Emay putting the little things together, man, and helping the guys get over that next step. And you saw him, he was able to do that, even though different situations in Boston.

So, man, I'm thrilled, personally. The thing that I'm curious about is if James Harden's going to wind back up in Houston. Because you know Maury wants to keep him in Philly, but you keep on hearing these reports and reading these reports that there could be some interest in James Harden going back to Houston.

Man, that would be, wow. I mean, you talk about, listen, in terms of Houston and Harden, there's just so much, like, this is one more exciting off-season from Houston's standpoint that I remember from even, I mean, got started, it's up there with LeBron's decision. You've got the NBA draft, okay? So when Benyama is going to change some franchise and Houston is right there to mix with it, you've got James Harden, who on top of that, that may be a factor in him saying, I want to come, I want to stay.

What he ends up doing, this game tonight is going to be something that James will probably qualify into his decision, you know, if it's not already made. And you've got, in Houston, a young group that keeps getting better and better. So, listen, man, and a new coach, there's a lot of fireworks going on over here in Houston, Ben. Well, Ryan Hounds, we appreciate the time. Good to catch up with you. Thanks for doing this. I need somebody to talk to.