2017 NBA free agency grades: New York Knicks adding Ramon Sessions
The New York Knicks have agreed to a deal with journeyman point guard Ramon Sessions. What can he provide? Is this a precursor to a bigger move?
The New York Knicks are in the middle of rumors regarding possibly acquiring Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving via trade. In the interim, the team has sought out the services of another point guard.
The Vertical‘s Shams Charania reported that journeyman Ramon Sessions has agreed to a one-year contract with the Knicks. This is a minimum deal worth $2.3 million. New York will be Sessions’ eighth stop since joining the league in March of 2008.
Sessions comes to the Knicks after a season with the Charlotte Hornets. It was his second stint with the team. He was first a member of the then-Bobcats from 2012 through February 2014. In his 2016-17 tour, he played 50 games, starting one.
Sessions averaged 6.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 16.2 minutes per game in 2017. Serving as Kemba Walker‘s backup, he played 811 total minutes last year. That made 2016-17 his first season since his rookie year that he failed to reach the 1,000-minute mark.
Ramon Sessions had a number of statistical struggles in 2016-17. For one, he greatly struggled with his shot. Sessions finished the year shooting 38.0 percent from the field. That was a 9.3 percent drop-off from his 2015-16 season with the Washington Wizards.
He managed to shoot a serviceable 33.9 percent from outside in 2016-17. However, that was negated by his paltry 39.3 percent shooting on two-pointers. Sessions struggled almost everywhere inside the arc. According to NBA.com’s shot charts, he only excelled at twos from directly in front of the free throw line or near the left corner.
Sessions also had problems on the defensive end. According to ESPN.com, he had a -1.40 Defensive Real Plus-Minus. That put him 55th out of 80 point guards. He also came away with a 111 defensive rating and a -2.2 Defensive Box Plus-Minus in 2016-17.
Despite those issues, he has maintained a spot in this league with his playmaking ability. Sessions has held an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio in every season of his career. He’s held steady at a 5.4-to-2.4 ratio per 36 minutes since the 2012-13 season.
As it stands, Sessions is likely coming in to mentor rookie Frank Ntilikina. Ntilikina is a 19-year-old that averaged only 19.1 minutes per game in France last year. Essentially, he’s a project. Sessions is the presumed opening night starter, giving Ntilikina a look at how to run the point at the NBA level.
However, the rumors continue to swirl about Irving possibly joining the fold. If Kyrie Irving comes to town, Sessions will certainly return to a backup role. But as that story sorts itself out, the New York Knicks managed to add a serviceable player to the fold.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
Ramon Sessions can be a valuable mentor to their rookie point guard, an adequate starter, and even a serviceable backup if the New York Knicks make a bigger acquisition. All it cost them was a minimum contract.
Grade: B