As the Suns teeter on the verge of not making the playoffs, there are some here that raise the question: Do we even want our team to barely get in only to get beat in the first round by the Lakers?

The answer is -- of course we do. Not only because of the Cardinals lesson and Warriors lesson. Not just because pure pride should drive the team to win every game it can.

If for no other reason than the Benjamins, we should want the Suns in the playoffs. I don't have the exact numbers handy, but I certainly recall reading that even a 4-0 loss in the first round brings in a couple of extra million in revenue for the team.

The Suns are going into the off-season with getting beneath luxury tax line being the prime directive. A couple of extra million could mean the difference in selling a pick or structuring a trade.

Especially now, every dollar counts. So if you can't root for the 8th seed out of a basic sense of competitive desire, then at least root for the extra cash.

Go Benjamins!