When Ramon Sessions opted-out of his deal I said it was in the Lakers’ best interest to just move on. Sessions was an upgrade but that wasn’t saying much considering his worst games were still better than Derek Fisher’s best these days. After Sessions vanished into the Bermuda Triangle that is NBA playoff pressure it was obvious he wasn’t the man to get this team back to title contention.
Now that the Lakers have significantly upgraded the point guard position via the acquisition of two-time MVP Steve Nash it is painfully clear that they’re moving on from Sessions. Ironically this is a situation in which Sessions would thrive if the Lakers saw fit to give him another contract.
When Sessions first arrived in L.A. he was slotted into the role of 6th man. It was a role in which he would thrive. The move made by Mike Brown was done more so as a way to ease Sessions into the Lakers’ system while he learned on the fly.
The results were eye-opening.
With Sessions leading the second unit the Lakers’ bench gained a pulse. A once dormant collective of talent was awoken by the blazing speed of Ramon who provided a change of pace that kept the opposition off balance.
Eventually Sessions ascended into his rightful role as a starter where he had some memorable moments before fading into the abyss of the postseason.
With Nash the inherent risk relates to his age. Yes, he’s still among the NBA elite at the point guard position. But at 38-years-of-age his time is limited. The Phoenix Suns knew this and that’s why his PT has been reduced in recent years. It’s also why having a trusted backup behind Nash became a priority in the Arizona desert.
Having a backup plan behind Nash is critical for the Lakers too. They’re not going to get Kobe Bryant minutes out of the older legs of Nash. That’s why it would be a perfect fit if Sessions were to re-join the team in a reduced yet vitally important role.
Some may say that Sessions made a mistake by opting out of his deal in the first place. From where I sit it was the right move to make. Sessions hasn’t established himself as legit NBA lead guard by taking blind risks. He’s good enough to get a long-term deal from someone and odds are the Lakers wouldn’t have given him much more than two years with an option of some sort.
If this were the Jerry Buss days when the luxury tax wasn’t as costly you’d better believe Mitch Kupchak would have started working on a new contract with Sessions the second Nash got off the phone with Kobe. Instead it’s a “thank you for your time, best of luck” farewell as Ramon embarks on the next leg of his NBA journey. And that’s just too bad because the current situation in Los Angeles is exactly what both Sessions and the Lakers so desperately need.