Dillon Brooks 'wouldn't mind playing LeBron' and Lakers in first round, wants to 'knock him out right away'

The Lakers and Grizzlies already had one notable scuffle this season

Dillon Brooks may be an inconsistent player, but he never fails to give the media a good quote. The Memphis Grizzlies wing manages to find himself in some controversy or another every few weeks and is at it again. This time, he's firmly entered "be careful what you wish for territory." After Tuesday's practice, Brooks indicated that he wants a specific opponent in the first round of the postseason: the greatest player of this generation.

"I wouldn't mind playing LeBron (James) in a seven-game series," Brooks said. "The legacy is there. First time back in the playoffs, knock him out right away. They'll test us good. They got good pieces, good players. That'll be a good first-round matchup for us."

James and the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. If he wins, Brooks will get his wish and the Lakers and Grizzlies will face off in the first round. James is still working his way back from a foot injury that kept him out for most of March, but if he is at full strength, he is the most fearsome playoff opponent the Grizzlies could ask for. In 266 playoff games, James has averaged 28.7 points, nine rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. James has more Finals appearances (10) than Brooks has postseason victories (7). He isn't exactly the sort of player an up-and-coming team should poke at.

Of course, neither Brooks nor the Grizzlies as a whole are new to any of this. Brooks has been trading barbs with another four-time champion, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, for the better part of two years. Grizzlies star Ja Morant infamously said that Memphis was "fine in the West" when asked about which playoff opponents he was worried about earlier this season.

This isn't even the first incident involving the Lakers and Grizzlies this season. In a January game between the Lakers and Grizzlies, several Memphis players, including Brooks, got into an altercation with Fox Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe said that the incident started in part because he said Brooks was too small to guard James.

The Grizzlies are well known for their brash, trash-talking style. It's going to be poorly received until the Grizzlies prove they can back it up in the postseason. A series against James and the Lakers, should it come, is a chance for them to show their bite is as bad as their bark.