The Laker Bench

[ALL HAIL]

If Sessions starts, that bench will give this team no real scoring on most nights.

Sessions, ideally, should be getting his reps in with Kobe and Bynum, but can the Lakers really afford to have the bench give less than 10 points collectively?

If Sessions starts, Gasol needs to come off the bench.

If Gasol starts, Sessions should continue to come off the bench (which is probably more tangible).

They desperately need bench scoring and this is the ONLY way.

[dockingsched]

i really do think sessions will continue to come off the bench for the foreseeable future, and i'd be very happy about it. mike brown just needs to adjust the rotations so that sessions can be in at the end of the game for the lat 6-7 minutes of the game.

if sessions were to start right now, he'd be relegated to a spot up shooter while kobe/gasol/bynum go to work. with the bench, he's able to learn the system by actually running it with the ball in his hands. once he feels a lot more comfortable with the system, he'll be able to assert himself with the starters a lot easier. right now most of the great stuff that sessions is giving the team is off fast breaks and semi-fast breaks.

[desertlakerfan]

i really do think sessions will continue to come off the bench for the foreseeable future, and i'd be very happy about it. mike brown just needs to adjust the rotations so that sessions can be in at the end of the game for the lat 6-7 minutes of the game.

if sessions were to start right now, he'd be relegated to a spot up shooter while kobe/gasol/bynum go to work. with the bench, he's able to learn the system by actually running it with the ball in his hands. once he feels a lot more comfortable with the system, he'll be able to assert himself with the starters a lot easier. right now most of the great stuff that sessions is giving the team is off fast breaks and semi-fast breaks.

Disagree completely. Putting Sessions in at the end of games after being with the second unit doesn't help us enough when he needs to be building chemistry with that line up all game.

Once Sessions is starting we'll have the same PG centric offense we now get off the bench with the starters. Just because Blake can only make one pass and run to the corner doesn't mean Sessions will mimic his playstyle. Having Sessions with the starters is what these trades were made for, our starting PG position has been dreadful and hasn't improved yet with moving Fisher.

Sessions will still have plenty of run with the second unit, there are 48 minutes at PG and he is young enough to play at least 35 per game. If we ever want a chance at playing team ball at the end of games, we need to get the starters used to playing with a PG who runs the team like Sessions is able to do.

[crazyeights]

^+1

[miggs]

i really do think sessions will continue to come off the bench for the foreseeable future, and i'd be very happy about it. mike brown just needs to adjust the rotations so that sessions can be in at the end of the game for the lat 6-7 minutes of the game.

if sessions were to start right now, he'd be relegated to a spot up shooter while kobe/gasol/bynum go to work. with the bench, he's able to learn the system by actually running it with the ball in his hands. once he feels a lot more comfortable with the system, he'll be able to assert himself with the starters a lot easier. right now most of the great stuff that sessions is giving the team is off fast breaks and semi-fast breaks.

Disagree completely. Putting Sessions in at the end of games after being with the second unit doesn't help us enough when he needs to be building chemistry with that line up all game.

Once Sessions is starting we'll have the same PG centric offense we now get off the bench with the starters. Just because Blake can only make one pass and run to the corner doesn't mean Sessions will mimic his playstyle. Having Sessions with the starters is what these trades were made for, our starting PG position has been dreadful and hasn't improved yet with moving Fisher.

Sessions will still have plenty of run with the second unit, there are 48 minutes at PG and he is young enough to play at least 35 per game. If we ever want a chance at playing team ball at the end of games, we need to get the starters used to playing with a PG who runs the team like Sessions is able to do.

Great post but:

1) Sessions will never "run this team" as you said until Kobe is gone, good luck talking Kobe into trusting the new guy.
2) Sessions isn't ready for at least 35 mins a game. It would expose A LOT of holes that aren't seen with his current playing time.

[chefy]

still a bit early to tell imo. i want brown to experiment more with sessions. i dont want to limit him by giving him a fixed role this early. i want to see more of him with different set of players, with the starters etc.


but, i must admit seeing him and kobe on the floor at the same time hurts my eyes. its been a long time since kobe played with true pointguard.

[desertlakerfan]

i really do think sessions will continue to come off the bench for the foreseeable future, and i'd be very happy about it. mike brown just needs to adjust the rotations so that sessions can be in at the end of the game for the lat 6-7 minutes of the game.

if sessions were to start right now, he'd be relegated to a spot up shooter while kobe/gasol/bynum go to work. with the bench, he's able to learn the system by actually running it with the ball in his hands. once he feels a lot more comfortable with the system, he'll be able to assert himself with the starters a lot easier. right now most of the great stuff that sessions is giving the team is off fast breaks and semi-fast breaks.

Disagree completely. Putting Sessions in at the end of games after being with the second unit doesn't help us enough when he needs to be building chemistry with that line up all game.

Once Sessions is starting we'll have the same PG centric offense we now get off the bench with the starters. Just because Blake can only make one pass and run to the corner doesn't mean Sessions will mimic his playstyle. Having Sessions with the starters is what these trades were made for, our starting PG position has been dreadful and hasn't improved yet with moving Fisher.

Sessions will still have plenty of run with the second unit, there are 48 minutes at PG and he is young enough to play at least 35 per game. If we ever want a chance at playing team ball at the end of games, we need to get the starters used to playing with a PG who runs the team like Sessions is able to do.

Great post but:

1) Sessions will never "run this team" as you said until Kobe is gone, good luck talking Kobe into trusting the new guy.
2) Sessions isn't ready for at least 35 mins a game. It would expose A LOT of holes that aren't seen with his current playing time.

I think Kobe has to learn how to play with Sessions and let him run the offense as the PG or we're never going to sniff another championship in the "post Phil Jackson" Kobe years. Kobe is a all time great scorer and has the complete offensive game, he's not like Lebron or Wade who very little game off the ball. He just needs time on the court with Sessions to figure it out and find the spots where Sessions can get him easy looks within the offense. This is new territory for Kobe on the Lakers(team USA was the closest he's been to playing in the backcourt with another talented guard), but I have faith that he can adjust and still greatly impact the game without having to dominate the ball.

As for minutes Sessions should be ready soon, he said in his presser that playing for Byran Scott this year had given him great conditioning due to the hard practices they ran. He played 29 minutes last night and I didn't see too many holes. Our problems over the last couple minutes was the poor defense and no rebounding inside with our piss poor backup 4s.

[Jajwanda]

The final lineup to finish with should be Goudelock, Sessions, and Bryant. That will win games with Sessions running high P-R until teams find a way to stop it. They'll have to pick their poison. If you can get away with it defensively it should be done.

[Jajwanda]

The final lineup to finish with should be Goudelock, Sessions, and Bryant. That will win games with Sessions running high P-R until teams find a way to stop it. They'll have to pick their poison. If you can get away with it defensively it should be done.

[miggs]

I think Kobe has to learn how to play with Sessions and let him run the offense as the PG or we're never going to sniff another championship in the "post Phil Jackson" Kobe years. Kobe is a all time great scorer and has the complete offensive game, he's not like Lebron or Wade who very little game off the ball. He just needs time on the court with Sessions to figure it out and find the spots where Sessions can get him easy looks within the offense. This is new territory for Kobe on the Lakers(team USA was the closest he's been to playing in the backcourt with another talented guard), but I have faith that he can adjust and still greatly impact the game without having to dominate the ball.

As for minutes Sessions should be ready soon, he said in his presser that playing for Byran Scott this year had given him great conditioning due to the hard practices they ran. He played 29 minutes last night and I didn't see too many holes. Our problems over the last couple minutes was the poor defense and no rebounding inside with our piss poor backup 4s.

I agree but my issue is you CAN NOT just give Sessions the reigns to run the offense in this shortened season, after such little time. Gotta crawl before you fly man, Sessions has a way to go. He's a GREAT pick up considering our financial situation but not a CP3 or even Nash so it takes time is what I'm saying. As for Kobe learning to defer to anyone, bro grab a ticket and come stand with the rest of us. We're all waiting for that day, if Bynum becomes Shaq-like maybe then something will happen. I think someone will have to take it from him as opposed to him deferring.

[Jajwanda]

The time and chemistry issues are so overblown it's not even funny. The basic plays they are running are child's play for anyone with a high BBall IQ. By the time the playoffs roll around they will know them down to a T with each other.

[miggs]

The time and chemistry issues are so overblown it's not even funny. The basic plays they are running are child's play for anyone with a high BBall IQ. By the time the playoffs roll around they will know them down to a T with each other.

I hope you're right Jajwanda, I really do

[Anklebreaker702]

I'd rather see Sessions start & play with the second unit for a limited time. Glock can handle the scoring if Brown puts him back in. The most important spot for Sessions to be in is closing the game. Brown is going to have to find the nads to move Kobe off the ball when he doesn't have it going in crunch time. I noticed Sessions rarely makes poor decisions.

[Anklebreaker702]

I think Kobe has to learn how to play with Sessions and let him run the offense as the PG or we're never going to sniff another championship in the "post Phil Jackson" Kobe years. Kobe is a all time great scorer and has the complete offensive game, he's not like Lebron or Wade who very little game off the ball. He just needs time on the court with Sessions to figure it out and find the spots where Sessions can get him easy looks within the offense. This is new territory for Kobe on the Lakers(team USA was the closest he's been to playing in the backcourt with another talented guard), but I have faith that he can adjust and still greatly impact the game without having to dominate the ball.

As for minutes Sessions should be ready soon, he said in his presser that playing for Byran Scott this year had given him great conditioning due to the hard practices they ran. He played 29 minutes last night and I didn't see too many holes. Our problems over the last couple minutes was the poor defense and no rebounding inside with our piss poor backup 4s.

I agree but my issue is you CAN NOT just give Sessions the reigns to run the offense in this shortened season, after such little time. Gotta crawl before you fly man, Sessions has a way to go. He's a GREAT pick up considering our financial situation but not a CP3 or even Nash so it takes time is what I'm saying. As for Kobe learning to defer to anyone, bro grab a ticket and come stand with the rest of us. We're all waiting for that day, if Bynum becomes Shaq-like maybe then something will happen. I think someone will have to take it from him as opposed to him deferring.

If Bynum becomes Shaq like you'll see an all out fist fight with Kobe yelling Fu*k you you big Bastard! Why do you big Bastards always steal my thunder.

[Jajwanda]

Count the number of teams that Sessions at the 2 and Kobe at the 3 are liabilities against to finish games and that will tell you quite a bit about how the team has to finish its games. Right now I only see a few teams like OKC and perhaps Miami (maybe) that are a problem.

If the team could find a wing that can actually shoot and play D they'd be in great position.

[AlexBarrera1]

I noticed Sessions rarely makes poor decisions.

I could be wrong but I don't think he has any turnovers the past 2 games.

[desertlakerfan]

I agree but my issue is you CAN NOT just give Sessions the reigns to run the offense in this shortened season, after such little time. Gotta crawl before you fly man, Sessions has a way to go. He's a GREAT pick up considering our financial situation but not a CP3 or even Nash so it takes time is what I'm saying. As for Kobe learning to defer to anyone, bro grab a ticket and come stand with the rest of us. We're all waiting for that day, if Bynum becomes Shaq-like maybe then something will happen. I think someone will have to take it from him as opposed to him deferring.

Normally I'd agree, this isn't the time to play a waiting game however.

We have less than 20 games till the playoffs, and with this condensed season there are fewer practices on off days meaning the only time to actually learn will be "on the fly". To maximize the time Sessions spends with the starters creating chemistry we have to start him over Blake. Any minutes that have Blake with the starting 5 at this point are wasted minutes as far as the bigger picture this year is concerned.

The time and chemistry issues are so overblown it's not even funny. The basic plays they are running are child's play for anyone with a high BBall IQ. By the time the playoffs roll around they will know them down to a T with each other.

Overblown? Lets hear what Sessions himself has to say on the issue, on radio 710 in LA today.

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lak ... -time-reps

"It’s something that we’re going to have to adjust to. In this season, practice time is real limited, so we’re going to have to learn on the go. I definitely think it’s something we’ll get used to on the floor, and just know when it’s time for whoever to do what he does," he said.

"It’s one of those things where the more times we get out there together, the more comfortable we’ll get, and the more we’ll be able to feed off one another.”

Sounds to me like Sessions knows exactly what the team needs, which is more time with he and Kobe on the court together so they can get better chemistry for crunch time situations.

[KingLakers]

I would think Sessions will get into the starting 5 by April but he is giving the Lakers a real spark off the bench Blake cant give that kind of production its kind of flipped now Fisher wasn't being productive but Blake was the spark now Sessions is the spark and Blake isn't being productive. Sessions may stay on the bench through the season and when the Lakers get another productive SG or another scorer to come off the bench then next season Sessions will take over the starting PG position.

[ALL HAIL]

Those that are saying Sessions should start are the same ones who will be complaining about our lack of bench production when he does.

I agree with Mike Brown.

However, if it were me, I'd probably start him and bring Gasol off the bench.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE SCORING OFF THE BENCH!

Gasol or Sessions will provide that.

If Sessions and Gasol start together with Bynum and Kobe the bench is a chasm again.

Some of you all are thinking to one-sided -- "Sessions is playing good;he should start"

It's not that simple.

You have to have balance with scorers on both units.

Brown is doing the right thing, even if Blake continues to provide nothing by way of production.

[yows]

^you don't have your second highest paid player come Off the bench.

Starting a game is moot, it's about having the right mix of players with the approprite minutes vs respective match ups.

All year long our startIng line up has been fine, our core frequently produced the vast majority of our points. Our three core players all require to have ball in order to be effective and now you want to add another player to pound the ball? Yes it is a short season and there only a handful games left to experiment which is why I wouldnt attempt to fix something that is not broken and focus on what undoubtedly a contentious issue (bench production)

P.s Beasley would look so sweet on our line up