It's not often that a player like Ramon Sessions gets this kind of opportunity. More specifically, it's not often that a 2nd round draft pick out of Nevada, who spent the previous season in Tulsa, and who saw his team trade for a player specifically to play in front of him sees the team's starting front court all get hurt while simultaneously seeing his only (and more experienced) competition simultaneously get traded away.
Now, in two games getting major minutes Ramon Sessions has looked nothing short of phenomenal. I know it's only two games, but these are like Chris Paul numbers (although Sessions reminds me more of Dwyane Wade, with his uncanny ability to get to the rim despite the lack of a credible jumper).
Those are lofty comparisons, but his 44 points in his first start followed by a 26 point effort in his most recent start have gotten my attention. And these aren't just "opportunity" points, or as I like to call them, "Sharif Abdur-Rahim" points. Sessions has been extremely efficient in his scoring. Oh, he's also handing out assists, and making life miserable for opposing guards (4 steals against the Rockets).
Can they keep this up? I have no idea, but there's reason for optimism. With the way the team is currently constituted, roles are clearly defined, and that's always good for a team. Villanueva, Sessions, and Jefferson are the scorers, while Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Keith Bogans, and Francisco Elson are there to provide defense (along with the rest of the post players). This makeup is actually quite similar to the Allen/Robinson/Cassell Bucks, who employed defense/first centers (the underrated Ervin Johnson and the thuggish Joel Przybilla) to ensure that there were enough basketballs for the "Big 3".
If I seem overly optimistic after 2 games (one of which was a loss), I'm probably guilty of that. I just can't help wondering if, at the end of this season, we might not want to see Redd and Bogut back in the lineup.
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