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[Jajwanda]

Where do you stick Blake's 12 mpg if Sessions is playing 36 including starting the game?

[MiniMamba24]

stick blake in luke waltons old seat

[larry14r]

stick blake in luke waltons old seat

Doesn't work like that.

[Dr Aki]

Where do you stick Blake's 12 mpg if Sessions is playing 36 including starting the game?

3 minutes at the end of the 1st and 3rd quarters, 3 minutes to start the 2nd and 4th quarters

[RamonSessions7]

Where do you stick Blake's 12 mpg if Sessions is playing 36 including starting the game?

Starting each half then seated

[Jajwanda]

The one thing I liked about Goudelock and Morris was that at least they could provide some offense in the P-R. Blake will literally get caught up on by the defender even after the pick.

[laduane1]

Both Blake and Ramon are needed. Even if people for some reason do not like Blake, he is still part of the team. Starting or coming off the bench. No one player can do it all by himself. Both are important to the teams success.

[rand0m]

Both Blake and Ramon are needed. Even if people for some reason do not like Blake, he is still part of the team. Starting or coming off the bench. No one player can do it all by himself. Both are important to the teams success.

Blake is still needed. Just off the bench and A LOT less.

[LAKESHOW]

we need some guys who can knock down some open freakin jumpers. im tired of watching murphy and roberts brick wide open shots. or look to pass and dont seem comfortable with the ball.

[ALL HAIL]

Troy Murphy is shooting damn near 42% from three.

He is the team's best three point shooter thus far.

His ability to spread the floor, especially playing with Bynum, is a significant reason why Bynum is playing career ball right now.

Say what you want about him, but Troy Murphy is an asset to this team, especially for his contract.

Dollar for dollar he offers tremendous value.

Back on topic though, Blake coming off the bench is a bad mix because he offers little to no spark, which is what you want from bench players.

In order for him to be effective in a bench role, you have to surround him with scorers, which the Lakers do not have (off the bench).

It's a bad idea in my book.

I would have eaten his contract, put him at the end of the bench, started Sessions, and signed Arenas to be my backup PG to provide that much needed spark (with Goudelock).

[poorboy]

we need some guys who can knock down some open freakin jumpers. im tired of watching murphy and roberts brick wide open shots. or look to pass and dont seem comfortable with the ball.

Your right..Thats why there is no reason Blake should be playing over Goudelocke.
There both terrible point guards but at least Goudelocke can make his open shots, and create for himself.

[poorboy]

Morris might not be in the Nba this time next year

[ChuckTaylors310]

i would rather have blake start and sessions come off the bench and provide our 2nd unit with that spark. he can then play starters minutes and finish the game in the 4th

[desertlakerfan]

Back on topic though, Blake coming off the bench is a bad mix because he offers little to no spark, which is what you want from bench players.

There is absolutely no logic to starting a much worse PG and putting yourself in a hole each game to improve your bench play.

It only works when you bring a better player who is a scorer off the bench(ginobli, harden, terry, lou williams, etc), and that's due to there being more shots available with a second unit than there is with the starting unit. You are effectively spreading the shot attempt opportunities.

It does not work when the player you are bringing off the bench is your best passer. You are hindering your teams overall success to try and bring a smaller overall impact to the bench. Just listen to Kobe's post game comments, he knows that playing with Sessions will make his life much easier, and the best way to do that is for Sessions to start.

It also decimates any argument made for the "start Blake" crowd that Sessions' speed game can't fit with the starters or that he and Kobe can't fit because Kobe has to dominate the ball.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7721137/los-angeles-lakers-ramon-sessions-already-kobe-bryant-approved

Quote:
"We just let him handle the ball," Bryant said of Sessions. "You saw me off the ball a lot, more than probably you've ever seen me. As a result, my night was a lot easier. I really didn't have to work. I had, what, 30 points? I didn't have to work for any of it because he's doing all the penetrating and I was getting great screens."


Quote:
"I've been extremely impressed," Bryant said. "He takes a lot of pressure off of me. I can be a legitimate 2-guard now. Know what I mean? He can play-make for others. Before, I had to score and play-make for others, as well. I don't have to do that. I can be on the receiving end of those plays."


Quote:
Sessions' court vision? "Just the reads that he makes," Bryant said. "He made me one pass tonight that I saw, but I didn't think he saw, and he slipped it right between the defense. I was like, 'Ooh. Interesting.'"

Sessions' speed? "There are a lot of players who have speed, but he understands how to change directions and he sees the floor extremely well," Bryant said. "That's the thing that makes his speed extremely valuable, that he can change gears."

[ALL HAIL]

I feel you dude, I really do.

I'm old school, so in my book, you have to have some pop or spark coming off your bench.

That means that you may have starters that are starters in name only.

I remember when Utah brought Thurl Bailey off the bench and started (in name only) Marc Ivaroni.

Rickey Peirce was a perpetual 20 point scorer off the bench in Milwaukee back in the day.

You r point is valid though. Sessions is a PG and the team's best. He is a great passer, but can also score.

I can't really argue with you because if I was coach I would start him.

But if I started Sessions, I'd bring Gasol off the bench. Why?

Because, once again, I believe that you have to have spark off your bench and a bench of Blake, Barnes, Murphy, and Goudleock is just not enought impact for me.

All that being said, it'll probably be a cold day in hel before we see Gasol as our sixth man, so, because that will never happen, I WOULD CONTINUE TO BRING SESSIONS OFF THE BENCH ... even though it bucks tradition.

I do remember Mugs=y Bogues as a sixth man for a short stint in Charlotte back in the day though. He was brought off the bench, even as teh best passer on the team, to be the spark/change of pace the team needed.

[desertlakerfan]

I feel you dude, I really do.

I'm old school, so in my book, you have to have some pop or spark coming off your bench.

That means that you may have starters that are starters in name only.

I remember when Utah brought Thurl Bailey off the bench and started (in name only) Marc Ivaroni.

Rickey Peirce was a perpetual 20 point scorer off the bench in Milwaukee back in the day.

You r point is valid though. Sessions is a PG and the team's best. He is a great passer, but can also score.

I can't really argue with you because if I was coach I would start him.

But if I started Sessions, I'd bring Gasol off the bench. Why?

Because, once again, I believe that you have to have spark off your bench and a bench of Blake, Barnes, Murphy, and Goudleock is just not enought impact for me.

All that being said, it'll probably be a cold day in hel before we see Gasol as our sixth man, so, because that will never happen, I WOULD CONTINUE TO BRING SESSIONS OFF THE BENCH ... even though it bucks tradition.

I do remember Mugs=y Bogues as a sixth man for a short stint in Charlotte back in the day though. He was brought off the bench, even as teh best passer on the team, to be the spark/change of pace the team needed.

Gasol is never going to come off the bench, I think you're the only person who's ever thought of that as a possibility.

I get why people are confused and see Sessions as a bench scorer since he can score, however it's a waste of his passing ability and ability to take people off the dribble to set up easy looks for his teammates to bring him off the bench.

Like it or not, Matt Barnes is our 6th man. He's our primary scorer off the bench, he's our very poor mans version of Ginobli, Hraden, Terry. Thankfully he had solid chemistry with Blake before the trade, so when Blake goes back to the bench Barnes will continue his solid bench play.


EDIT: Had to look it up to be sure but Muggsy was a starter in CHA for over 80% of his time there. His first year he did come off the bench behind Mike Holton who was putting up 8 pts, 6 assists on 42% shooting. I don't think CHA was trying to make a championship run before their window closed however, going 20-60 with the "play the better passing PG off the bench" strategy.

[Jajwanda]

Little mentioned fact.

Defensive impact of Matt Barnes:

- The rebounding from the perimeter has been a big help over non-factors like Blake/Goudelock.
- Barnes has the ability to switch onto big men which has been a big help in rotations all over the board, in addition to that nice block he had last night.
- Barnes can get steals and while his wingspan is poor for a 3 at the 2 he's got more than enough with his quickness to make a nice defensive impact

It's been a while since teams went with full size players, but it can make a significant impact. It's part of why Miami is so good (when you have a team of swarming large athletic players, it makes scoring incredibly difficult).

[PurpleGold]

There is no reason why Blake should be getting minutes over Glock.

[larry14r]

There is no reason why Blake should be getting minutes over Glock.

Well Blake is a vet and Glock is a rook the end.

[PurpleGold]

There is no reason why Blake should be getting minutes over Glock.

Well Blake is a vet and Glock is a rook the end.

And...?

Glock is still the better player. If you can't see that, I don't know what to tell you.