The last player anyone expected to get moved at the trade deadline was Derek Fisher, the heart and soul of the Lakers, along with being a vocal presence in the locker room.
Shock and surprise aside, acquiring Ramon Sessions and Jordan Hill makes them a little more dynamic, diverse and slightly better, even if star Kobe Bryant has to be wondering what management is doing.
Sessions can make plays, taking the pressure off Bryant in a way Fisher couldn’t do at this stage of his career. And despite everything Fisher brought in intangibles, no one can ignore Fisher had more than his share of trouble with speedy point guards over the past few years.
The Lakers are two games behind the second-place Spurs, and want homecourt advantage in that second-round meeting, should the two sides meet up. Adding Hill, a young athlete who plays with his back to the basket as a backup to both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, gives them a little more depth up front. He’ll probably play in front of Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts.
While Bryant is probably second on most MVP ballots, having someone who can play designated driver down the stretch of games (Sessions) should truly help the Lakers if he can mesh quickly with Bryant–which is bad news for everyone else.
Oh and about that little thing called “loyalty” toward a guy like Derek Fisher–it doesn’t exist and if anyone needed a reminder, this was it.
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