Lakers 5-Game Win Streak Continues in Ramon Sessions Debut: Fan Breakdown - Yahoo! Sports

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Lakers 5-Game Win Streak Continues in Ramon Sessions Debut: Fan Breakdown - Yahoo! Sports Mar 17th 2012, 06:41 By Todd Jacobs, Yahoo! Contributor Network The Los Angeles Lakers faced Michael Beasley and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Staples Center March 16, just one day after the Lakers traded for point guard Ramon Sessions. The Orange County Register had Beasley wearing a Lakers uniform at the trade deadline March 15 but the deal for Steve Blake never materialized. Ramon Sessions Photo by Randy Stern from Minneapolis, MN, USA Steve Blake shook off the trade rumors and welcomed the Lakers new point guard as the team played the Timberwolves led by Beasley and former UCLA star Kevin Love. Love has also been the subject of several Lakers trade rumors but the Timberwolves and Lakers never consummated the deal. Steve Blake started the game but didn't score a point in the Lakers first win with their new additions. Blake is still the explosive charge the Lakers need to push the floor and he logged 29 minutes while Sessions worked 19 minutes. Moving forward the Lakers next five games are key. The Lakers will play all Western Conference rivals with two of the games coming on the road against the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks. The trip to Texas is important for the Lakers as the post season approaches. The Lakers must win on the road and now that they have a legitimate point guard on the team the Lakers have a chance to go deep in the NBA playoffs. Blake will see an expanded role on the team and with Derek Fisher gone from the locker room, Blake will need to step up off the court as well. The game against the Houston Rockets in Houston will be emotional with Fisher playing opposite his Lakers teammates. The Lakers beat the Rockets in their last meeting and it was one of the few times the Lakers scored more than 100 points with Bryant throwing down 37 points on an unprepared Houston team. As the Lakers make their way to the post season all eyes will be on Kobe Bryant. Will the trade of his best friend Derek Fisher unsettle him for the rest of the season? If the first game without Fisher is any indication, Bryant will be just fine. Bryant just missed another 30-point performance, scoring 28 points and blocking two shots. The Sessions trade will mean nothing if the Lakers cannot play on the road. The Lakers are 19-2 in the Staples Center, an impressive home record but their road record is dismal. The Lakers are 9-14 on the road and their play away from home has been embarrassing. It is time for the Lakers to step up and show they are alive and well away from Staples Center. *Todd Jacobs is a native Southern Californian who has followed the Los Angeles Lakers since the days of Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Sources: Orange County Register ESPN Clubhouse: Los Angeles Lakers news and stats. Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers. Five Filters recommends: Donate to Wikileaks.

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