The Phoenix Suns, which clinched a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993, don't yet know their to-be-determined championship opponent.
But as long as Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Atlanta Hawks phenom guard Trae Young are sidelined with or hampered by injuries, consider the Suns to be clear betting favorites, according to former NBA player and current SiriusXM NBA Radio host Eddie Johnson.
"This team, all year, they've been unafraid," Johnson told the Tiki and Tierney show on Friday. "Obviously, both of these teams are beat-up. Trae Young is dealing with his ankle and Giannis is dealing with his knee. So, pick your poison. If neither of those players are healthy, I think the Suns are going to win each series handily. And it doesn't even matter. I think those two players have to be healthy...
"The mindset is, they beat LeBron, and I think they feel like they can beat anybody. And that's what they've done -- they swept Denver and they beat the Clippers, 4-2. So, I think they feel like they had success against Milwaukee this year, I think they split with Atlanta. So, I think they view both teams as adversaries and teams that are going to be difficult. But I'm just telling you, Monty [Williams] has this team thinking, 'We don't care who we play. We feel like we'll beat them.'"
Phoenix, led by veteran floor general Chris Paul who scored a playoff career-high 41 points in the team's series-clinching Game 6 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, became the first team in NBA history to reach a Finals after a 10-season playoff drought. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Suns currently have a 68-percent chance of winning their first title.
Game 6 of the East finals between the Bucks and Hawks will take place Saturday night in Atlanta. Milwaukee currently owns a 3-2 series lead.
The entire NBA conversation between Johnson and Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.