After a recent blowout victory against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves facing the Pelicans once more as their first opponents in the upcoming Play-In Tournament. ESPN’s Mike Greenberg has suggested a surprising strategy for the Lakers: intentionally lose the upcoming game.

In the Play-In Tournament, the winner of the 8th seed game will advance to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the winner of the 7th seed game will challenge the formidable Denver Nuggets. Greenberg pointed out this potential matchup and advised the Purple and Gold to consider aiming for the 8th seed.

“The Lakers should not play tomorrow night. They should not play LeBron, they should not play AD (Anthony Davis). They do not want to be 7-seed.

You want to be the 8,” stated Greenberg on ESPN’s Get Up. “I am taking my chances in a one-and-done at home against either Sacramento (Kings) or Golden State (Warriors) and then going to win against a very young OKC Thunder in round one instead of going to the buzzsaw that is Denver (Nuggets). I think it is worth the risk.”

Darwin Ham reveals Anthony Davis’ condition after back injury

Greenberg emphasized the Lakers’ struggles against the Nuggets this season, suggesting that avoiding them could be beneficial. However, he acknowledged the riskiness of his strategy. If the Lakers lose at any point in the process of aiming for the 8th seed, their Play-In journey ends.

Lakers’ star Anthony Davis recently suffered a back injury in the game against the Pelicans. The nine-time NBA All-Star was seen walking gingerly to the locker room after a collision with Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. Coach Darwin Ham provided an update on AD’s condition, revealing that Davis himself described the injury as “nothing major.”

Ham expressed extreme optimism about Davis’ potential participation in the looming Play-In game on Tuesday. With opinions divided among fans, the question remains: Should the Lakers take Greenberg’s risky advice? Share your thoughts in the comments below!