Like a typical television series that starts out strong, then quickly fades under the pressure of bad scripts, Sessions went from being the next Norm Nixon to forgetting his lines under the glare of the playoff spotlight.
What was obvious about Sessions from the start of his run in L.A. was that he possessed the speed and passing skills the team was sorely lacking. His first handful of games with the Lakers felt like a basketball breath of fresh air—fans had not seen a penetrating, lightning-quick PG in purple and gold since the days of Nixon and Byron Scott back in the 1980s.
In just over a month, Sessions had to learn the Lakers playbook and get acquainted with new teammates. Going from the no-name Cleveland Cavaliers to the Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol Lakers was a lesson in superstar culture shock.
Sessions seemed to relish his new role. In 23 games he averaged 13 points on 48 percent shooting from the floor, including almost 50 percent from beyond the arc. The latter was a pleasant surprise.
Sessions at first came off the bench and provided a much needed spark for the otherwise listless bench. It all looked quite promising until the playoffs came around, at which time he became the incredible shrinking point guard.
In 12 games—and I might add these were the first 12 postseason games of his career—Sessions shot just 38 percent from the field and only 16 percent from three-point range. His assist numbers went from 6.2 to 3.6 and his scoring average dipped to 9.7.
Clearly, this was a severe case of playoff panic.
Adding to Sessions' woefully inept offensive game was an exposure and inability to defend agai...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
