Minny gets Sessions on the cheap..

[Wizard Mentor]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4465626

There was a lot of Sessions talk on these boards, including plenty who would have given up the midlevel + players for him.

In accordance with statements Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond made to ESPN.com early Friday, the team has not matched the four-year, $16.4 million offer sheet restricted free agent Ramon Sessions received earlier this month from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Hopefully he breaks out as a star PG making Rubio more attainable.

It's crazy such a good up-and-coming young PG had a hard time finding a home.

 

[Ed O]

Good move by the Wolves. It'll be interesting to see who was wrong about Sessions (I am, blessedly, in the middle on him... I think he's a really good value for MN, but I was never quite sold on him as a top-tier prospect...)

Ed O.

 

[MAS RipCity]

I just don't understand Minny's management. You are a top 5 worst team in the NBA, you do NOT take a lotto pick on a player to become a backup. Sessions is also very young, so now they have 3 young prospects at 1 position...throw that money at at SF like Ariza or a sign and trade for a 2 guard. Just horrible management..oh well, makes it easier to keep beating them.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I just don't understand Minny's management. You are a top 5 worst team in the NBA, you do NOT take a lotto pick on a player to become a backup. Sessions is also very young, so now they have 3 young prospects at 1 position...throw that money at at SF like Ariza or a sign and trade for a 2 guard. Just horrible management..oh well, makes it easier to keep beating them.

They're collecting assets. They can suck for a year netting them another high lottery pick, trade Rubio + pick to bring in a superstar. Given their depth at PG, it could work out great for them. Remember, McHale's no longer in charge of their Navy.

 

[Nikolokolus]

I think It's a fantastic get for the timber-pups at a very reasonable price. It does seem a little strange that Khan went out and picked up so many one guards who all make their living off of drives to score and are not what I would call perimeter threats. But if nothing else there seems to be a lot of potential talent in that collection.

I'd like to think that I have the first clue what his long term plan is for the team, but frankly I have no idea,except that he seems to want stockpile talent at one of the hardset positions to fill in the NBA. Maybe he just wants find somebody who fits in really well with Jefferson over the next couple of years and he hopes to parlay the other two guys into some kind of trade that will fill the remaining holes on his team. Somehow I doubt it works out as neatly as all that.

 

[Wheels]

I just don't understand Minny's management. You are a top 5 worst team in the NBA, you do NOT take a lotto pick on a player to become a backup. Sessions is also very young, so now they have 3 young prospects at 1 position...throw that money at at SF like Ariza or a sign and trade for a 2 guard. Just horrible management..oh well, makes it easier to keep beating them.

BPA would be my guess.

 

[MAS RipCity]

I'm all for BPA, but not when you have already used 2 huge assets (lotto picks) on point guards..let Flynn grow and bring in a vet backup to help him along. Sessions makes NO sense. They need wing help and another big. It was not a collection of assets it was a waste of an asset (money)

 

[PapaG]

Sessions can't shoot and doesn't play defense. How is $4 million/per "cheap" for a back-up PG with a very limited skill set?

 

[Idog1976]

I'm all for BPA, but not when you have already used 2 huge assets (lotto picks) on point guards..let Flynn grow and bring in a vet backup to help him along. Sessions makes NO sense. They need wing help and another big. It was not a collection of assets it was a waste of an asset (money)

Unless of course they want to trade Flynn or Rubio. Assuming they are stockpiling assets for a trade (a fair assumption I think) then they grabbed as others mentioned, the BPA at a very cheap price. I would have exploded with Joy if KP had netted us Sessions at such a cheap price. I still think there is something that must be unknown about Sessions to explain his low price. I would definitely have traded/dumped Outlaw/Blake and/or possibly Bayless for Sessions. I was one of his biggest boosters this summer and I stand by the feeling that Sessions will be a great player in this league. He has proven he can rack up assists on a team with no offensive talent.

I think Ramon will almost certainly start. I think this move makes either Flynn or Rubio tradeable. I agree with Wizard mentor that Rubio plus next years pick or another one of their young talents could net them a star. I think Superstar seems unlikely (there aren't that many) unless they mean an over the hill superstar like KG (the ultimate irony if that happened). Not that I think they will get KG, just using him as an example of an over the hill Superstar that they could attain.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

Sessions can't shoot and doesn't play defense. How is $4 million/per "cheap" for a back-up PG with a very limited skill set?

4 million a year is pretty cheap for a 2nd year guard who averaged 12/6/3 with a steal in 27 mpg.

 

[Tince]

4 million a year is pretty cheap for a 2nd year guard who averaged 12/6/3 with a steal in 27 mpg.

On a horrible team playing for nothing.

 

[TradeNurkicNow]

On a horrible team playing for nothing.

The fact that he got the dimes that he did on a terrible Bucks team while being benched for Luke Ridinour constantly shows me that the kid can play.

Good pickup for Minny

 

[Bosco]

The fact that he got the dimes that he did on a terrible Bucks team while being benched for Luke Ridinour constantly shows me that the kid can play.

Good pickup for Minny

The fact that he got benched constantly for Luke should tell you a little something too.

 

[axs88]

The fact that he got benched constantly for Luke should tell you a little something too.

Because coaches are always right and never prefer playing it safe with vets as opposed to developing young players?

 

[Tince]

Because coaches are always right and never prefer playing it safe with vets as opposed to developing young players?

It's not like Luke is some 12 year vet who was a borderline all-star in his prime.

I think the market spoke for the true value of Sessions in this league. I guess we'll see in time...

 

[BalancedMan]

It's not like Luke is some 12 year vet who was a borderline all-star in his prime.

I think the market spoke for the true value of Sessions in this league. I guess we'll see in time...

It is crazy. I guess my theory about Milwaukee matching any low offer was quite wrong. I'm surprised a sign and trade with someone wasn't worked out for him, at the very least. The Bucks must be really hurting financially.

 

[STOMP]

The fact that he got benched constantly for Luke should tell you a little something too.

The Bucks paid Luke roughly 9 times as much money as Ramon last season... should that lend some insight too?

RS produced with a 17.5 PER... thats pretty decent. Quality pickup for the Wolves.

STOMP

 

[anonymous gambler]

I would have loved a sign and trade for Blake, but....maybe there's something about Sessions that I don't know.

 

[PapaG]

The Bucks paid Luke roughly 9 times as much money as Ramon last season... should that lend some insight too?

RS produced with a 17.5 PER... thats pretty decent. Quality pickup for the Wolves.

STOMP

With a usage rate of 22.4. All this for a guy who can't shoot.

For comaparison, Steve Blake had an ORtg of 118 and a Drtg of 110, while Sessions had an Ortg of 111 and Drtg of 109. Plus, Blake had a higher TS% and eFG% by a considerable margin.

Sessions has a higher PER due to his inflated usage. Minnesota overpaid for him IMO.

 

[STOMP]

For comaparison, Steve Blake had an ORtg of 118 and a Drtg of 110, while Sessions had an Ortg of 111 and Drtg of 109. Plus, Blake had a higher TS% and eFG% by a considerable margin.

Steve's career TS% is 0.522 while Ramon's is 0.523... so you're saying Steve can't shoot?

Sessions has a higher PER due to his inflated usage. Minnesota overpaid for him IMO.

you're welcome to your opinion

STOMP

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I think this worked out well for both Sessions and Minny.

I know many might think Sessions is underpaid, but imagine where he would be if Minny didn't lose Rubio . . . I think he would have been looking at a much smaller offer form another team. As it turned out, Minny needed a PG to save some face and Sessions makes a respectable signing.

So Minny gets a good PG in a buyer's market (NBA is down and sweepstakes next year) . . . and Sessions found a team that desperately needed to sign a quality PG.

 

[deception]

great signing, particularly considering he's the diametric opposite of jonny flynn.

 

[Tince]

The Bucks paid Luke roughly 9 times as much money as Ramon last season... should that lend some insight too?

RS produced with a 17.5 PER... thats pretty decent. Quality pickup for the Wolves.

STOMP

I guess I should be amazed that Aldridge played over Lafrentz considering Lafrentz made 4 times as much and LMA.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Sessions can't shoot and doesn't play defense.

Sounds a lot like Andre Miller to me.

 

[PapaG]

Steve's career TS% is 0.522 while Ramon's is 0.523... so you're saying Steve can't shoot?

you're welcome to your opinion

STOMP

I was using last year's numbers. You know, like you did with Sessions' PER? Blake has a lower career PER as well, due in large part to his lower usage rate. Also, I notice you didn't include career eFG%. Hint - Blake is at 50% for his career; Sessions <45%.

Minny overpaid for Sessions. There, I said it again.

 

[STOMP]

I guess I should be amazed that Aldridge played over Lafrentz considering Lafrentz made 4 times as much and LMA.

yep, perfectly parallel comparison to point to. KP really had a lot invested in seeing Raef playing. It's not like he was viewed as a dead weight contract in the trade that brought him in and now was an embarrassing example of his ineptitude that the press could pick at.[/sarcasm]

sorry that I tried to add some context.

STOMP

 

[rocketeer]

the twolves definitely didn't overpay for sessions. at worst, they got him at appropriate value(being an above average backup pg). at best, they got him at a pretty decent bargain(though i don't think his true value could be anything more than the full mle).

that said, sessions isn't really a very good fit for their team. that doesn't necessarily matter since they aren't going anywhere at all. they'll try to figure out what they have with flynn and sessions and see if either guy if the pg of the future(and present) for the team. when you're a terrible team, adding young assets is never really a bad thing.

 

[PapaG]

the twolves definitely didn't overpay for sessions. at worst, they got him at appropriate value(being an above average backup pg). at best, they got him at a pretty decent bargain(though i don't think his true value could be anything more than the full mle).

that said, sessions isn't really a very good fit for their team. that doesn't necessarily matter since they aren't going anywhere at all. they'll try to figure out what they have with flynn and sessions and see if either guy if the pg of the future(and present) for the team. when you're a terrible team, adding young assets is never really a bad thing.

Good points. I admit my view of Sessions has been skewed somewhat by the over-the-top posts on this board this summer about offering him a contract. I didn't see the value then, and I still don't see the value now by the T-Wolves. That said, he has at least proven he belongs on an NBA court, but I still think a 4 year deal for him was excessive, and I'm still glad Portland never went after him.

 

[Idog1976]

Good points. I admit my view of Sessions has been skewed somewhat by the over-the-top posts on this board this summer about offering him a contract. I didn't see the value then, and I still don't see the value now by the T-Wolves. That said, he has at least proven he belongs on an NBA court, but I still think a 4 year deal for him was excessive, and I'm still glad Portland never went after him.

I'm curious now. What do all the anti-Sessions folks think about Andre Miller? I like both Miller and Sessions. No defense and no 3ball I guess is something that makes me swoon. Seriously though, vision and ability to get assists and score at the cup are to me the number one and two jobs of a PG with defense coming in a very close third with 3ball 4th.