Who is Ramon Sessions?

Despite the addition of veteran Darren Collison, the Sacramento Kings were still in need of more veteran experience in their backcourt.  They addressed that issue last week when they reportedly signed Ramon Sessions to a two-year contract.

Sessions is entering his seventh year in the NBA and has played for five different teams.  He finished last season as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, but before that he spent a season-and-a-half with the Charlotte Bobcats.  We recently caught up with Spencer Percy from Queen City Hoops, ESPN.com’s TrueHoop affiliate that covers the now Charlotte Hornets, to learn more about the Sacramento Kings’ new point guard.

CK: Sessions spent a season and a half with the Charlotte Bobcats. What kind of contributions did he make and how is he remembered for his time in North Carolina?

SP: A very reliable backup PG and that’s exactly what Sacramento will ask him to be. Sessions came to Charlotte after being the starter for the Lakers in the second half of the 2011-12 season and he was probably one of the more reliable second options at the PG position in the entire league.

Not a great shooter, but a bullet at getting to the rim and drawing contact. Gets to the foul line often and to sprinkle the cupcake, he’s a phenomenal free-throw shooter. Sessions can also guard the PG and SG position.

CK:  The most noteworthy thing Sessions has done in his career thus far was rack up a franchise-record 24 assists in a single game for the Milwaukee Bucks. What kind of playmaker was he for his teammates in Charlotte?

SP: In Charlotte, he was often asked to add a scoring punch off-the-bench due to the fact that this roster had been desperately searching for consistent scoring before the arrival of Al Jefferson. Sessions has good vision and loves to push the rock every opportunity he gets. Again, beating the opposition to the rim is clearly his goal in life. You’ll see. He isn’t the most reliable three-point shooter on the planet and needs time to wind up in order to get his shot off, but he’ll surprise you from deep from time-to-time.

CK: Sacramento Kings head coach Michael Malone is big on defense. How does Sessions measure up as a defender?

SP: I always wished to see more consistent effort from him on this end. A “tweener” defensively, which gives him versatility and allows him to guard both PGs and SFs – probably the most outlying positive with Sessions on this end. You’ll see Sessions in lineups as the SG when the Kings get in a foul-trouble pinch. Struggles to contain PGs off-the-dribble and that’s going to continue to be an issue for him as he ages.

CK:  The Sacramento Kings already have another veteran point guard in Darren Collison, who spent last season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Doc Rivers wasn’t afraid to play Collison alongside Chris Paul at times. Do you think that the Kings could get away with playing Collison and Sessions together during stretches of games?

SP: Yeah, so I already touched on this, but I think you’ll definitely see the two playing together. More late in games I’m sure. Collison is without question the more reliable option at PG here, but Sessions is that offensive spark-plug that coaches fall in love with coming off the bench.

CK:  Would it surprise you at all if Sessions ended up being the Sacramento Kings’ starting point guard on opening night?

SP: It would. I think Darren Collison is without question the better overall player on both ends of the floor. Don’t get me wrong though, Sessions will be great coming off the bench and if the injury bug were to hit at PG for the Kings, the regression won’t be too severe in the starting lineup.