He was seen as one of the most promising young PG prospects in the league last year with Milwaukee and ended up signing with Minnesota, a team that drafted two PGs rated higher than him and a system that doesn't fit him very well. I remember quite a few explosive games from this guy (ie 24 assists as a rookie!) and I still think he has a lot of potential. Who thinks the Blazers should try and go after him this offseason? I've heard many Minnesota fans interested in Rudy, so possibly a deal surrounding him. I see it as a low risk/high reward type of move, he could replace Andre Miller after next season and be our PG of the future. Best case being an all-star caliber player holding his own against guys like Westbrook, I really do think he has that sort of potential. What's his contract status?
He's signed until 2012/2013 for about 4 million per. I'd look for a better upgrade than Sessions, but if it only cost something like Rudy and another player it's low risk move.
I'd try to add Flynn from them first, but I'm admittedly higher on Flynn than most people are. Sessions would be a decent pickup though.
I don't think Sessions can shoot any better then Bayless from the outside and that isn't saying much. I really don't think he would be much of a upgrade over Bayless probably a downgrade with his defense. I would rather try and get Conley.
Sessions is actually a pretty effective on-ball defender (a season under Scott Skiles will do that to a player and Minny was 5.5 points worse per 48 minutes defensively when he was off the court) he has longer arms than Bayless and just about as much "quicks." You're right though, he can't shoot for shit outside of 15 feet, but he's got a very effective tear drop shot in the lane and he sees the floor like a true point guard ... basically he's like the second coming of Andre Miller, so you probably wouldn't want both Miller and Sessions as your one-two punch at lead guard. That said, I like him. I'd easily part with a package of Rudy and Bayless to get him.
I like Miller but that is the one thing that is killing the Blazers is his outside shooting. We don't need another PG like Miller I want a PG like Bayless that can shoot better to play with Roy. The times I have watched Sessions I wasn't impressed at all and don't want him on the Blazers. Like I said someone like Conley would be a much better fit IMO.
I wouldn't move Bayless for Sessions. Maybe Rudy, which would push Bayless from the backup 1 to more of the backup 1/2 (with Martell getting some minutes off the bench at shooting guard, as well). I was never that high on Sessions, and while I think he might be a starting-level player, it seems he's not a lot more than that and might never be. Ed O.
You're absolutely right we don't need another Miller clone (at least as long as Miller is here), and maybe you're right Conley would be a decent target, but I don't agree with: 41/31% from the floor doesn't cut it for me.
What I meant is Bayless would be great playing next to Roy if he could shoot better IMO. I didn't mean to say Bayless can shoot well. I'm hopnig he can keep improving his shot but I'm not sure he ever will be a good enough shooter for us. I also agree with Ed O and wouldn't even trade Bayless for Sessions.
Sessions is a poor man's Miller. I want a bit of variety: I want a great defender and a solid 3 point shooter from my backup PG. For defense I'm intrigued by RFA Kyle Lowry.
If the cost were fairly low (like Rudy and/or Webster) I'd be interested. I was one of Sessions' bigger proponents last year. I'm a little less excited about him this season. One reason being that Portland now has Miller, which makes Sessions a bit redundant (though only in the short-term....I've always considered Sessions a young Andre Miller, so that would be nice longer term). The other reason, of course, is his poor season in between, but that's at least partly explained by Kahn/Rambis trying to shoe-horn him into a system that really doesn't fit him. Right now, though, if Portland is going to pay a really high price, it needs to be on a player who'd make them significantly better today in addition to down the line. Sessions wouldn't make them appreciably better this season (or even next, if Miller stays at a high level two more seasons).
Exactly right, this team needs to be thinking a bit bigger than Sessions and should be looking for more than "pretty good" in terms of consolidating this roster with trade chips like Jerryd, Martell, Rudy, etc. Names like "Harris, Parker, Gordon," and so forth spring to mind.
