He understood who held the point guard position before him.
"[Derek] Fisher was a great guy for this organization. I'm not here to replace Fisher," Sessions said Friday. "I'm just here to do whatever they need me to do and try to win games..."
Sessions was acquired Thursday from Cleveland for Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, the Lakers' first-round pick this year and less than $1 million in cash.
The Lakers' other acquisition, power forward Jordan Hill, did not play Friday against Minnesota because Fisher had not flown to Houston to take a physical that would have officially validated the Lakers' other draft-day trade. Fisher was dealt to the Rockets, along with the first-round pick the Lakers got from Dallas in the Lamar Odom trade.
Sessions, a quick penetrating guard, was averaging 10.5 points and 5.2 assists as the backup to Kyrie Irving, the top pick in last year's draft. He knows who's around him now, in many ways.
"I don't need 30 shots a night," he said. "If it's a night where they need me to score, I'll score. If it's a night they need me to get guys the ball, that's what I'll do."
He's aware of the 7-footers down low.
"That definitely helps any time you have those two big trees out there," he said, referencing Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. "It's going to make my job easier. I could throw a bad pass and they're going to make it look good. And you're not even mentioning Kobe [Bryant] on the wing."
Steve Blake started against Minnesota, but Sessions might eventually supplant him in the starting lineup.
"I think I would be off-base if I said Steve is going to be my starter for the rest of the year," Coach Mike Brown said. "I don't know what this kid can bring to the table in terms of Sessions."
Sessions was shooting a subpar 39.8% before Friday but improved his three-point accuracy dramatically this season while also increasing his attempts from behind the arc.
Sessions made 26 of 62 shots (41.9%) from three-point range this season before Friday. In the previous three years combined he was 10 of 44 (22.7%).
"It's something that I worked on a lot this summer," he said. "Last year, I was always driving to the basket. After you fall a couple times, you've got to realize, 'Hey, you're not getting any younger out there.' "
Hill, 24, said he would try to create a niche as a backup big man. He played center and power forward in Houston.
"I'm a rebounding guy," he said. "I just want to go out there and give a lot of energy, play defense and do the little things that help me get better and help my team win."
Hill averaged five points and 4.8 rebounds for the Rockets.
So close
Minnesota forward Michael Beasley couldn't have been less concerned about his future Thursday as the Lakers, Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers tried to hammer out a deal that almost made him a member of the Lakers.
He remained occupied watching the cartoon "Fanboy & Chum Chum" on Nickelodeon while enjoying pizza, french fries and lemonade, he said.
"I wasn't leaning toward staying or going," Beasley said Friday. "I was just having a regular day."
Beasley remained on the Timberwolves only after team owner Glen Taylor nixed an agreed-upon three-team deal with seven minutes to spare before Thursday's trade deadline.
The Lakers would have sent Fisher to Minnesota in that trade but sent him instead to Houston.
Beasley, 23, is averaging 11.8 points this season. He did not play against the Lakers on Friday because of a sore toe.
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Times correspondent Mark Medina contributed to this report.
