The Lakers’ Championship Run Is “In Session”

At the beginning of the season, it was clear that the Lakers had two assets that would allow them to compete with anybody in the West. Those two things were 14 feet of skilled big men in the form of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, and arguably the greatest scorer this league has ever seen in Kobe Bryant. However, the Lakers also had three flaws, which many believed would prove to be fatal. These were deficiencies at the point guard and small forward positions, and an already unproductive bench that lost its anchor in Lamar Odom.

With one trade, the Lakers managed to mitigate their deficiencies enough to the point where at least they won’t lose games because what used to be their greatest faults.
Now let’s be clear. Ramon Sessions is no Steve Nash or Deron Williams, both of whom would have made the Lakers the favorite to represent the West in the NBA Finals. But the fact of the matter is that the Lakers were contenders even before the Sessions acquisition. The Lakers were third overall in the West, second in the league in rebounding, top ten in team defense, and had the league’s leading scorer, all of which combined would make any team a legitimate contender for the NBA title. What the Lakers’ lacked was consistent scoring from players named other than Bynum, Gasol, and Bryant.
At first it may seem that the addition of Sessions only solves one of the Lakers’ problems, but in fact his impact on the game goes beyond solidifying the point guard position for the Lakers. It spreads to the Lakers’ bench, including to Matt Barnes, who the Lakers need to be productive at the small forward position, and to the Lakers’ big three. Let’s use the Lakers’ latest road victory against the Mavericks as an example.

Sessions came off the bench for the Lakers and immediately provided a spark, compiling 12 points and 7 assists in the first half. His +/- was a +28, easily greater than any bench player has had for the Lakers this season. Last night was one of the few times the Lakers were able to extend a lead while their bench was in the game, mainly because Sessions was able to create quality looks for the other bench players, including Matt Barnes who finished the game with 11 points and a +23 overall.

Not only does Sessions elicit a strong threat from the bench that the Lakers have lacked all season but he also provides better looks for the already dominant Laker bigs. Jeff van Gundy summed it up best when he said “the Lakers have ran more point guard pick and roll plays tonight than they have in years.” This helps take pressure off Kobe Bryant, as he doesn’t have to worry about being the only one on the team that can make plays. Not only does Sessions help solve the Lakers’ faults but he also helps strengthen their assets, as he has the ability to set up Kobe and the bigs with better quality shots.
Now it’s easy for critics to point out that the Lakers lost their first two games with Sessions dressed in purple and gold. But anyone who watched those games knows that those losses can be blamed on (as much as it pains me to say it) Kobe Bryant. He missed a combined 34 shots in those games. The fact of the matter is that the Lakers are only going to go as far as Kobe and the Gasol/Bynum combination carry them. But there have been some games this season, where the big three for the Lakers have been next to unstoppable but other Lakers couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. If the Lakers big three aren’t productive, the Lakers are going to lose, plain and simple. But the addition of Sessions ensures the Lakers that when the big three are productive and dominant (as they are on most nights), the Lakers won’t lose games because their bench can’t create quality shots or keep up with the other team’s second unit. Remember that the Lakers were contenders even before this trade. Ramon Sessions adds the icing to the cake to a Laker squad that looks ready to make some noise in the playoffs.