Lakers Trade Fisher

[Covert Rain]

Lakers are shaking things up.

Fisher was traded to Houston for Jordan Hill which they say was purely about money.

Lakers trade for Ramon Sessions via the Cavs as part of a multi-player deal. The Cavs send Evenga to the Lakers. Walton Kapono go to the cavs.
The Lakers will keep their draft pick this year if they miss the playoffs. As part of the deal, the Cavs also will have the right to swap Miami's 2013 first-round pick, which they own, for the Lakers' first-round selection.

 

[Phrazbit]

Really odd moves for LA. Getting rid of picks for very marginal talent returns. For a team in their cap situation they dont have much of a way to improve outside of the draft.

 

[Covert Rain]

Really odd moves for LA. Getting rid of picks for very marginal talent returns. For a team in their cap situation they dont have much of a way to improve outside of the draft.

Sessions is being brought in to replace Fisher and the figure they get more points, more assists with slightly worse defense for less money I guess. The rest of it I am not sure how it helps the Lakers this year. Kopono and Walton for Evenga gets you nothing.

Also, I don't think the heart that Fisher brought to that team can be overlooked.

Very odd trade scenario for a team that claims to be going for the title again this year no?

 

[Phrazbit]

Sessions is being brought in to replace Fisher and the figure they get more points, more assists with slightly worse defense for less money I guess. The rest of it I am not sure how it helps the Lakers this year. Kopono and Walton for Evenga gets you nothing.

Also, I don't think the heart that Fisher brought to that team can be overlooked.

Very odd trade scenario for a team that claims to be going for the title again this year no?

Agreed. These look like, at best, marginal upgrades and more like lateral moves, in the short term and really bad trades in the long term.

Just looked on a Laker board and they were all hopeful another shoe was going to drop... and are now pretty ticked.

 

[D-Dogg]

Sessions is a HUGE upgrade. Fish was more than done. BTW, that's a statement more about Fish than about Sessions...he's good, but Fisher was horrific. The net change there is drastic.

We got out of a nasty contract with Luke, too. Hill is decent depth.

Could have done more, but by far the biggest problem on the Lakers was PG, second was the bench. They improved with a penetrating point guard without depleting their bench. Getting a PG while keeping Bynum and Pau together is good.

The Lakers are a better team now than they were before. Kopono and Walton gave us nothing to start with. Evenga was just a chip to get them gone. The draft pick will be in the 20s...big whoop. Sessions is young and quick, and has good stats for 22 mpg. Hill gives a decent bench big to rest Pau and Drew.

It's not splashy, but it's an improvement.

They were trying to add Beasely at the deadline too, but it fell through.

 

[Folster]

Sessions is being brought in to replace Fisher and the figure they get more points, more assists with slightly worse defense for less money I guess. The rest of it I am not sure how it helps the Lakers this year. Kopono and Walton for Evenga gets you nothing.

Also, I don't think the heart that Fisher brought to that team can be overlooked.

Very odd trade scenario for a team that claims to be going for the title again this year no?

The Lakers had to have the worst defense against opposing point guards. Fisher was terrible at defense. When he is not allowed to mug the guy he's guarding and bully his way through screens then he is horrible. I can understand why Suns fans have an inflated sense of his defensive capabilities because he is unfortunately allowed to do those things against Steve Nash and the Suns.

 

[Mainstreet]

If I understand it correctly, the Lakers have parted with both of their first round picks??

 

[D-Dogg]

If I understand it correctly, the Lakers have parted with both of their first round picks??

Big whoop. Late first round, and dallas' was top 20 protected.

 

[D-Dogg]

The Lakers had to have the worst defense against opposing point guards. Fisher was terrible at defense. When he is not allowed to mug the guy he's guarding and bully his way through screens then he is horrible. I can understand why Suns fans have an inflated sense of his defensive capabilities because he is unfortunately allowed to do those things against Steve Nash and the Suns.

This.

Fish is not a good defender - and he has been getting even worse. Outside of the triangle, the fact that he isn't even a PG became glaringly obvious and was the single biggest offensive AND defensive issue on the team.

 

[Rivercard]

Wow, in a 3 team deal the Clippers get Nick Young for Brian Cook (aka nothing) and a 2nd round pick. Nice!

 

[Mainstreet]

Big whoop. Late first round, and dallas' was top 20 protected.

I was just thinking for the Lakers to give up to first round picks for Hill and Sessions, this may speak to the talent level in the tail end of supposedly a deep draft. Actually, I like both players. IMO, this says something about the 2012 draft.

 

[elindholm]

That's okay, Fisher will invent some family reason that requires him to get out of his current contract, then rejoin the Lakers when it's convenient.

 

[Phrazbit]

That's okay, Fisher will invent some family reason that requires him to get out of his current contract, then rejoin the Lakers when it's convenient.

"My dog went missing during the move and will try to find us back in LA!"

 

[Neo]

That's okay, Fisher will invent some family reason that requires him to get out of his current contract, then rejoin the Lakers when it's convenient.

I think having a kid with cancer is a pretty legitimate reason to leave for a bigger city with better medical specialists. I doubt he will come up with a second kid with cancer.

 

[D-Dogg]

I think having a kid with cancer is a pretty legitimate reason to leave for a bigger city with better medical specialists. I doubt he will come up with a second kid with cancer.

 

[Joe L]

Wow, in a 3 team deal the Clippers get Nick Young for Brian Cook (aka nothing) and a 2nd round pick. Nice!

Filled our void at the 2. Apparently, Young vetoed the original trade to Denver. Wiz had to get the Clippers involved...Young wanted to go there at the expense of losing his bird rights. Shoot, Clippers pulled off a Lakers type deal.

By the way, Sessions isn't a PG.

 

[D-Dogg]

By the way, Sessions isn't a PG.

LOL.

Yeah, he is. He's a creative point with speed and a good crossover. 6'3". Has very good court vision and runs the transition game well.

He also averages more than 5 assists and 10 points and 3 boards in 24 and a half minutes a game.

He's not remotely the caliber of Chris Paul, but Paul averages 19 points, 8 assists and 3 boards in 36 and a half minutes per game.

Sessions will be getting starters minutes, and should be in the 15-8 range for points and assists. I'm very happy with that, since in the same 24 minutes, Fish was averaging 6 points, 3 assists and 2 boards.

 

[Covert Rain]

LOL.

Yeah, he is. He's a creative point with speed and a good crossover. 6'3". Has very good court vision and runs the transition game well.

He also averages more than 5 assists and 10 points and 3 boards in 24 and a half minutes a game.

He's not remotely the caliber of Chris Paul, but Paul averages 19 points, 8 assists and 3 boards in 36 and a half minutes per game.

Sessions will be getting starters minutes, and should be in the 15-8 range for points and assists. I'm very happy with that, since in the same 24 minutes, Fish was averaging 6 points, 3 assists and 2 boards.

You mention how bad Fisher's defense is but if you think Sessions is an upgrade you have not been watching Sessions. Look at his opposing per against other PG's. He is worse than Fisher. Also, I get you happy about the upgrade OFFENSIVELY but the Lakers are worse defensively IMO versus before the trade.

 

[D-Dogg]

You mention how bad Fisher's defense is but if you think Sessions is an upgrade you have not been watching Sessions. Look at his opposing per against other PG's. He is worse than Fisher. Also, I get you happy about the upgrade OFFENSIVELY but the Lakers are worse defensively IMO versus before the trade.

Not even remotely possible.

I'm not sure if you saw that stretch where the Lakers were giving career numbers to opposing PGs - Lin and Calderon in particular destroyed Fish.

Sessions isn't a defensive stalwart, but in comparison to Fisher he is. In college he was decent defensively, and the one thing that Mike Brown can coach is defense, so that should bring out a little more from sessions.

Defensively overall, I'm not worried so much about the Lakers - they are one of the better defensive teams in the league. The offense is stale and needs more scoring punch though - Fish replaced by Sessions gives us that, and WORST CASE defensively it would be a wash, but that's almost impossible.

 

[AfroSuns]

I haven't seen Sessions play this season, so i have no idea what he is bringing defensively. I guess it is safe to assume he does not possess the same leadership quality Fisher did. There are intangibles that don't show up on the stats that cant be replaced.
For his sake, he better be tough mentally to deal with Kobe's verbal abuse when the game is not going right.

 

[AzStevenCal]

You mention how bad Fisher's defense is but if you think Sessions is an upgrade you have not been watching Sessions. Look at his opposing per against other PG's. He is worse than Fisher. Also, I get you happy about the upgrade OFFENSIVELY but the Lakers are worse defensively IMO versus before the trade.

Daren, I think you're under-estimating just how poorly Fisher has been playing during the regular season. There isn't a sub 6-7 guy out there with less lateral quickness than Derek. I haven't been watching Sessions play much but I just don't think it's possible for him to be anywhere near as bad as Fisher.

Steve

 

[jagu]

Sessions isn't a defensive stalwart, but in comparison to Fisher he is. In college he was decent defensively, and the one thing that Mike Brown can coach is defense, so that should bring out a little more from sessions.

LMAO at people still thinking you can coach a player into defense. He is who he is , a decent PG but he isn't going to be stopping anyone on D.

 

[Covert Rain]

Daren, I think you're under-estimating just how poorly Fisher has been playing during the regular season. There isn't a sub 6-7 guy out there with less lateral quickness than Derek. I haven't been watching Sessions play much but I just don't think it's possible for him to be anywhere near as bad as Fisher.

Steve

Not even remotely possible.

I'm not sure if you saw that stretch where the Lakers were giving career numbers to opposing PGs - Lin and Calderon in particular destroyed Fish.

Sessions isn't a defensive stalwart, but in comparison to Fisher he is. In college he was decent defensively, and the one thing that Mike Brown can coach is defense, so that should bring out a little more from sessions.

Defensively overall, I'm not worried so much about the Lakers - they are one of the better defensive teams in the league. The offense is stale and needs more scoring punch though - Fish replaced by Sessions gives us that, and WORST CASE defensively it would be a wash, but that's almost impossible.

Not that impossible. Fisher is allowing opposing guard scoring of 14.0 Pts per 48. Sessions is allowing 16 pts per 48. So, as bad as you think Fisher is...Sessions has been playing worse according to opposing PG scoring.

If the Lakers think they can coach him up, I don't know if I buy that one bit. I think if your team has a better defensive scheme that might help him some.

I do completely agree that he will be an overall improvement offensively and I can see why the Lakers wanted that. I am just curious if Sessions can deliver like Fisher has done for years...in crunch time and when a big shot is needed. Fisher had that reputation and Sessions does not.

No matter what I am gong to be watching the Lakers to see how this plays out.

 

[Cheesebeef]

it's a good move talent wise, but the Lakers now literally have NO ONE to stand up to Kobe and pretty much zero in the way of veteran leadership outside of Kobe. And as much as Fisher sucked, I think any Laker fan who's truly honest with themselves will be gripping when Ramon Sessions is shooting a key three pointer at the end of a close game as opposed to Fish, who somehow always managed to hit big shots at key times throughout his career.

 

[D-Dogg]

LMAO at people still thinking you can coach a player into defense. He is who he is , a decent PG but he isn't going to be stopping anyone on D.

Defense is one of the things you CAN coach a player into doing. Defense is desire, and want-to. Scheme and focus on defense can improve a player's D...that's not to say he's going to be some D first teamer or anything, but that he'll be better in LA on defense than he was in Cleveland.