Lakers no longer pursuing Sessions

[Speedlot]

Thank goodness. I never like this fool anyway.

[VIPER8382]

I really hope that we decide to keep Sessions. To me keeping Sessions is imperative for us. I know that they would get abused on D (he and Nash on the court together), but Sessions could play at SG while Kobe is resting, in addition to giving us a great back up PG behind Nash. As mentioned Sessions would learn a ton from Nash, as Sessions already seems to prefer being a distributor. We could amnesty Blake, also re-sign Hill and Ebanks, and I think that we would be set, we wouldn't need any other free agents.

Nash (32) / Sessions (18) / Morris (depth)
Bryant (34) / Sessions (14) / Goudelock (depth)
MWP (32) / Ebanks (16) / Eyenga (depth)
Gasol (34) / Hill (14) / McRoberts (depth)
Bynum (36) / Hill (12) / Sacre (depth)

[One Love]

Sessions is GONE... He wants to start (NO), wants $5 to $6 million (NO) & a long term deal (NO)... He should have played out next year... BAD decision... Enjoy Toronto, I hear the weather is great... Lakers will sign Grant Hill & amnesty or trade MWP & to to war... Nice move BUSS...

[Speedlot]

I really hope that we decide to keep Sessions. To me keeping Sessions is imperative for us. I know that they would get abused on D (he and Nash on the court together), but Sessions could play at SG while Kobe is resting, in addition to giving us a great back up PG behind Nash. As mentioned Sessions would learn a ton from Nash, as Sessions already seems to prefer being a distributor. We could amnesty Blake, also re-sign Hill and Ebanks, and I think that we would be set, we wouldn't need any other free agents.

Nash (32) / Sessions (18) / Morris (depth)
Bryant (34) / Sessions (14) / Goudelock (depth)
MWP (32) / Ebanks (16) / Eyenga (depth)
Gasol (34) / Hill (14) / McRoberts (depth)
Bynum (36) / Hill (12) / Sacre (depth)

nah

[Sofa King]

Sessions would have been a solid back-up on the bench that could provide a spark. But with everything considered, cap, already have Blake uncontract, multiple young point guards wanting in the wings, Lakers don't necessarily "need" Sessions now. He should have never opted out.

I hear the Mavs and Knicks could use a starter. Sessions agent should be looking for a short deal there.

[hermes]

Stop the presses!

[Stebo_SSK]

I dont think its completely season changing whether or not they had Sessions but to say they dont need him isnt smart. Everyone here is screaming for bench depth and he is the epitome of a great bench player. I think it was probably a mutual decision to part ways somewhat. Sessions wants to be a starter and wants LT security while LA just views him as a better back up than Blake. Personally, I would have offered him the 4yr 16 million dollar deal to play the 6th man but with Dragic getting 4/30 and Lin 4/32 or so...Im sure he feels he can sell his services a tad bit higher than 4. So to say he isnt a great need or fit is to ignore that he could be the answer to a lot of bench issues.

[flowflow99]

Nobody saw that Nash deal coming. Sessions' gamble made sense before Nash came out of nowhere because who else would the Lakers have signed?

I really believe Sessions is starter material if given the right system, which is fast paced pick and roll with a ton of attacking. Not the slow ISO ball that the Lakers are running.

Ironically, Nash thrives in a similar system so I predict Mike Brown will either neuter him with his low post ISO ball offense or Nash will ignore him and do things his way and Brown will become as lame duck as Vinny Del Negro

[LAKESHOW]

first of all

[LAKESHOW]

i told folks around here about blake and his defense before we signed him. which totally sucks.

secondly, sessions might fit with nash. speed and push the ball, and then the back up with more speed and push the ball. oh well, sessions made his decision. But nash and sessions as first and 2nd would be a nice point tandem for our team.

[Sofa King]

I'm hoping Nash shows Blake how to make a lob. When that happens, makes losing Session not so bad.

[Kilroy]

I think Blake is sitting down with his agent right now and getting familiar with the Amnesty process...

[LateRoundFlyer]

Nobody saw that Nash deal coming. Sessions' gamble made sense before Nash came out of nowhere because who else would the Lakers have signed?

I really believe Sessions is starter material if given the right system, which is fast paced pick and roll with a ton of attacking. Not the slow ISO ball that the Lakers are running.

Ironically, Nash thrives in a similar system so I predict Mike Brown will either neuter him with his low post ISO ball offense or Nash will ignore him and do things his way and Brown will become as lame duck as Vinny Del Negro

You do understand that it was Bynum, Gasol, and Metta that told Sessions to slow his game down, right? Had nothing to do with Brown (or Kobe, for that matter). And let's not compare Brown's offense to VDN's. VDN doesn't even know what an offense is.

[TruSkool]

sessions would be a great back up PG for us, and even a combo 2 guard. we should resign him and let blake go

[flowflow99]

You do understand that it was Bynum, Gasol, and Metta that told Sessions to slow his game down, right? Had nothing to do with Brown (or Kobe, for that matter). And let's not compare Brown's offense to VDN's. VDN doesn't even know what an offense is.

Brown's the coach and chooses how their team runs their offense. He wants to run it through the post instead off pick and roll penetration, so we ended up telling a speed guard his job is to act like Derek Fisher.

And Brown's offense is pretty much one of 3 things - horns with a couple backscreens to get Kobe an open look, corner ISO for Bynum, or a high screen and roll without anyone rolling that usually results in a non-shooter taking a desperation 3.

Which makes me wonder, what is he gonna do with Nash? I don't think Nash is gonna settle for bringing the ball down, passing to Bynum in the post, and waiting for the next 20 seconds.

[LateRoundFlyer]

You do understand that it was Bynum, Gasol, and Metta that told Sessions to slow his game down, right? Had nothing to do with Brown (or Kobe, for that matter). And let's not compare Brown's offense to VDN's. VDN doesn't even know what an offense is.

Brown's the coach and chooses how their team runs their offense. He wants to run it through the post instead off pick and roll penetration, so we ended up telling a speed guard his job is to act like Derek Fisher.

Name some starters besides Bryant who are any good at the PnR? Drawing a blank? Okay, then name how many post players in that same line-up? Kobe, Gasol, Bynum, Metta...

This team was configured for the Triangle. Plain and simple. Gasol tried to move out to the perimeter and it didn't work. Why is anyone surprised? That was why we had a deal for Chris Paul to kick the season off, and was also a large reason why we acquired McRoberts, Murphy, and Kapono. Those guys were supposed to be the antidote to the spacing problems precipitated by ditching the Tri. That isn't Brown's fault; he didn't pick these guys. Stuck with such a post-heavy roster, a derth of shot creators, and no real ball handler aside from Kobe (no Odom!), what brilliant offensive schemes were you expecting?

This is what Brown had to say when questioned about his play sheet about a month before acquiring of Sessions:

"The reality of it -- and this is not a knock on our players at all -- if you got Chris Paul, you say, 'Chris Paul, go get us a good shot.' Play pick-and-roll and Chris Paul is going to set you up. You got Tony Parker? Go get us a good shot. (Russell) Westbrook, go get something.
"We are an execution team,'' continued Brown. "It's not a knock on Steve Blake, it's not a knock on Derek Fisher. They're not breaking it down and playing pick-and-roll, so what we have to do is we have to be an execution team. What does that mean?''

...

"We have to get the ball up the floor so we can get to not only our first or second option, but sometimes we've got to get to our third and fourth option because we don't have the break-down guys. Metta (World Peace) is not going to face you up and break you down. Drew (Bynum) is not, Pau is not -- they're post-up guys. So we have to execute by getting the ball up the floor quickly, not necessarily for a shot, but to get to a third or fourth option we have to space the floor very well, OK? And then the last thing is we have to make sure we're moving the ball and moving bodies. We get multiple ball reversals and the way we drive and kick is by throwing the ball into Kobe, throw the ball into Pau, throw the ball into Bynum and now against the double-team they kick it out. But our spacing and all that has to be good.

"That's how we can get an advantage. It's the way we're built.''

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/w ... z1zncaxBRV

So trade deadline comes, Lakers acquire Sessions for Luke, Kapono, and a first-rounder, and he's playing great with both the bench and the starters. He's averaging 12 pts, 6 assists, primarily through dribble penetration and throwing it out in transition. AKA exactly what he's brought into do.

What changes?

Two things. First of all, Kobe is sidelined with a shin injury, so there goes his dance partner for the PnR. (You think Kobe was going to tell him to stop setting him up? Please. I know Kobe gets plenty of unjustified hate as a ball hog but he was perhaps the greatest benefactor behind Barnes with Sessions' acquisition.) Also, Sessions injures his shoulder.

With Kobe out, Lakers drop the next game against PHX in embarrassing fashion, a 20-pt blowout, prompting the team to meet and ask Sessions to slow his game down. Brown is not involved at this point at all. Gasol, Bynum, and Metta ask Sessions to defer more often and feed them passes. And so it begins.

The Lakers do okay with this strategy with Kobe out, going 5-2 against 6 different teams, 4 of which hold .500 records, and 3 that are playoff-seeded teams. Their only losses? The very first one without Kobe versus PHX... and a retaliatory win by the best-in-the-west Spurs. Hardly the worst result one might have prepared for, by any standard.

On the eve of Bryant's return before a game against the Spurs, Metta says this regarding the team's strategy going forward, which makes it clear where Sessions is in the pecking order:

World Peace repeatedly emphasized how the team's "tempo is Drew." World Peace argued that the team discovered they temper that to match Bynum's speed instead of forcing the Lakers center to match theirs.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/16 ... n-20120416

And in that one sentence, you cut to heart of the problem. "The tempo is Drew".

With Fisher and Blake, Bynum was never expected to run back in transition as much as he would be later with Sessions, and the dude was STILL gassed. Bottom line is: our bigs had Sessions slow his game down, not Brown. If you want to blame him for going along with it,I hardly find it a justifiable complaint. After all, what would've been a realistic alternative?

When Pau Gasol can be heard on open mic in nationally televised games telling his teammates "we don't want to push the pace", then that should be a clue as to how much our offense has suffered for having two lumbering bigs as its centerpiece. Two bigs, who as it stands, never played together that much before this season, and who certainly didn't come out of this one playing together any better.

Nash is an upgrade over Sessions for plenty of reasons. Among them:

1. His game is not dependent on athleticism at all, meaning slashing and hard drives were never to be a permanent fixture in Lalaland after all. But the benefit of this is that Gasol and Bynum should have no excuse for keeping pace with a 38-year old PG who makes Fisher look like Nick the Quick.

2. He is a crazily efficient shooter in addition to his playmaking, which, even if the Lakers fail to add a speedier wing player, means that teams will have to respect his shot. Last year alone, he boasted a 50% FG average in limited minutes with Jared F***ing Dudley and Marcin Gortat as his two best weapons.

3. Respect. You think Bynum or Kobe dare ask this guy to defer or slow his game down to suit either of their respective styles? Hardly. Nash's veteran status also comes with additional perks: he replaces some of what we lost with Fisher, in tempering Kobe's hard-nosed leadership role, and also he won't be suffering from a crisis of confidence in the biggest moments of the playoffs.

Conclusion? Brown's so-called "iso-heavy" offense turning Nash into Fisher is the least of my worries. Now if we can just flip one of our bigs for a pick-and-pop player or another knock-down shooter, we are ready to terrorize this league.

[DEEP3CL]

Some guys in this thread calling for Sessions to be back.........people he's done, toast it's a wrap. Mitch and Jim were pissed that they blew a 1st rounder on his ass, that was the ultimate disrespect.

[Josephpaul]

He's getting singed somewhere

[Slava]

Has Sessions killed his agent already?

[LAFan24]

So where's he going now? Damn, I bet he's pissed.