Mike Greenberg Is Out Of His Mind Thinking The Lakers Should Rest LeBron and AD So They Can Tank Their Play In Game To Avoid The Nuggets

Harry How. Getty Images.

I gotta be honest, not a great look for us in the "Greenberg" tribe, and certainly those of us who correctly go by Greenie and not "Greeny". And while technically I'm not related to Mike Greenberg, I feel like as a Greenberg myself, I need to address a comment like this

What a horrendous idea. Granted, this isn't the first time we've seen something like this from Greeny. How could we forget the time he was convinced the Lakers should sit their starters in Game 5 against the Warriors after being up 3-1

They didn't, lost Game 5, and then wrapped up the series in 6. So maybe, this is just his schtick? It's embarrassing on many levels, but at least the man is consistent. Knowing this is also the guy who said UCONN would beat an NBA team, I suppose we should be taking all of this shit with a gigantic grain of salt.

In reality, this would be a terrible idea. You never, ever, ever want to tempt the Basketball Gods with this shit at this time of year. When you're in the Play In, you're a team that cannot care about what happens in RD1, because you NEED TO MAKE ROUND 1. Willingly taking a game against the Pelicans, a team the Lakers just blew out on Sunday, to take a 1 game do or die against Steph Curry & Co or a Kings team that has beaten the Lakers all 5 times in their last 5 meetings is just asking for disaster.

For a team that doesn't really shoot 3s, all it takes is one hot game from your opponent and your season is over. How on earth is that a better scenario then just sucking it up and playing the Nuggets? Yeah, they've owned that ass recently, but so what? I would think having the ability to lose 3 times before being eliminated is certainly better being bounced after just 1 loss. Plus, the Lakers (and AD) can't talk all that shit heading into the year about facing the Nuggets only to dodge them

If the Lakers have dreams of winning the title, chances are they are going to have to play the Nuggets eventually. Given LeBron's age and AD's injury history, wouldn't it make more sense to play them as early as possible? Wouldn't that give you the best chance to pull off the upset compared to not seeing them until a potential WCF? That's the other angle of Greeny's logic that doesn't make sense. If the fear is beating the Nuggets, why would you want to deal with that after multiple rounds with all those additional miles on the legs of your best players? Not to mention, the Warriors went 1-7 against the Kings and Warriors! It's legitimately a worse choice to tank the Play In game and then hope for a prayer, when you can just take care of your own business and head into a 1st round as healthy as you could possibly be.

I will say, as someone who enjoys the Lakers downfall it would be very funny to see them try this and then lose the second Play In game resulting in them missing the playoffs entirely, but you have to be completely insane to think this is what they should do. Don't be a baby and let the chips fall where they may. 

Can you imagine what the internet/TV/life would be like if the Lakers actually did this? And then they got knocked out? Somewhere Skip Bayless is blowing his load just thinking about it.