Some Cleveland Cavaliers fans don’t understand why the team traded Ramon Sessions in March. They see what Sessions is doing with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs and think, “This is our former backup point guard? Why on Earth did we let him get away?”
The answers are actually pretty simple.
For one, Sessions wouldn’t have been content spending the rest of his career as Kyrie Irving’s backup. And you couldn’t blame him. If Irving ends up being as good as everyone expects, the man playing behind him will likely average 10-15 minutes a game for a long, long time.
For another, Sessions was likely to opt out of his contract at season’s end if he remained with the Cavs. It was nothing personal — he liked his teammates and playing for coach Byron Scott. He played hard and displayed leadership. He handled a less-than-ideal personal situation like a pro, never straying from the team concept. He got along well with Irving and enjoyed pushing him in practice.
“Ramon knows there’s light at the end of the tunnel,” his agent, Jared Karnes, said when Sessions was still playing for the Cavs. “He knows he’s in a good situation.”
If the Cavs had any issue at all with Sessions, it’s that he was too good. They knew someone with his ability and professional approach to the game was ready to run his own team. Sure, he might be OK playing the backup role for now, but what about next year?
As Sessions has proved with the Lakers, he’s ready. The Lakers have been a different team since he arrived in LA. They’ve been a better team.
The ball moves better. The shots seem easier. The starting point guard is still young (26), intelligent and able to create shots on his own.
Mostly, he’s been an ideal complement to Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, executing coach Mike Brown’s offense and getting the bigger names the ball where and when they want it.
“We have guys out there that can light it up with Kobe, Bynum and Pau. In the meantime, I'm still trying to get my shot," Sessions told the Los Angeles Times. "Those guys have been here for a while. They know when the game is getting out of control, so I respect them with that. I just listen to them and try to control the tempo as much as I can.”
Sessions has also done something Cavs fans knew he could do all along: He’s put up points at some crucial moments — much like he did in Cleveland’s win over Chris Paul and the Clippers in early February. In that game, Sessions outplayed the considerably more celebrated Paul.
As of Wednesday, the Lakers had a 2-0 series lead over Denver in the first round of the playoffs. Sessions was big in Game 2, going 4-for-8 from the field in the fourth quarter on his way to 14 points and four assists. Most impressively, he committed zero turnovers in 36 minutes.
It’s exactly the type of performance the Lakers were hoping for when they made the trade. They wanted steadiness, someone who could play at any tempo, someone who stepped it up a little when it meant the most.
So far, that’s been Sessions.
Meanwhile, back in Cleveland, the Cavs aren’t hoping to replace Sessions with the 24th overall draft pick they received from the Lakers. They are merely hoping to fill a need — regardless of position. In fact, it’s highly unlikely the pick will be used to draft a backup point guard.
But the Cavs expect to get a player who can help them. If they’re fortunate, he’ll be the same type of good match Sessions once was for them, and currently is in LA.
Follow Sam Amico on Twitter @SamAmicoFSO
