Penny's ceiling was PG13 with a doper hair cut and sneakers.
PENNY WAS ALREADY
BETTER THAN PG-13
WITHOUT EVER REACHING HIS CEILING
A Healthy Penny Hardaway would’ve been better than JORDAN?
- Thread starter DoubleClutch
- Start date
PENNY WAS ALREADY
BETTER THAN PG-13
WITHOUT EVER REACHING HIS CEILING
SymbolicOne09
All Star
He was Just like bronGrant hill was never in the convo.
He was too one dimensional
CROM
Pray. I will not listen, but I will laugh at you
You really have no clue what you’re talking about.Grant hill was never in the convo.
He was too one dimensional
NYC Rebel
...on the otherside of the pond
The zero sum game of NBA fans is annoying.
I wont say better but he was certainly on the trajectory of becoming a legit rival of MJ. No one expected the Magic to be THAT good in his second year there. The way he controlled the pace of the game with Shaq was unreal. He was so bouncy. Literally unguardable. Outright dominant so early on.
I wont say better but he was certainly on the trajectory of becoming a legit rival of MJ. No one expected the Magic to be THAT good in his second year there. The way he controlled the pace of the game with Shaq was unreal. He was so bouncy. Literally unguardable. Outright dominant so early on.
prophecypro
Hollywood North
It was
I remember Inside Sport (RIP) did a NBA 50 list before the league released theirs and Peter Vecesy who wrote put both Shaq and Penny on it. And this was Summer 96
Im not sure who compiled the offical top 50 list but they were definetly writers debating and Shaq got in.
prophecypro
Hollywood North
People gotta understand with Penny, he literally had his career altering injury the same time he was about to elevate as a player.
Yeah the points and assist look modest by today's standards but thats 21 ppg as the second option in the defense high era. His assists at 7-8 also may seem modest but dont forget people were hacking Shaq as he fed him in.
What we did see is his numbers in the NBA finals and the first 2 months without Shaq the next year and in the 97 playoffs when he switched to 2, what he was really capable of as the one option which was a 25-30ppg in the 90s.
Having watched old tapes of old games, yes he definetly had a streaky inconsistent jumper but a lot of people did then. And the defense was hit and miss (Definetly had trouble with little guards like AI and Tim Hardaway) but again this all him at 23,24 or after microfacture surgery.
In fact its a miracle he even played a few more seasons after 2 microfacture surgeries in 4 years (96-00)
More so than G Hill, Mac, Wall, Webb who I feel had enough healthy seasons. Penny is more in the Brandon Roy, Derrick Rose what if section
Yeah the points and assist look modest by today's standards but thats 21 ppg as the second option in the defense high era. His assists at 7-8 also may seem modest but dont forget people were hacking Shaq as he fed him in.
What we did see is his numbers in the NBA finals and the first 2 months without Shaq the next year and in the 97 playoffs when he switched to 2, what he was really capable of as the one option which was a 25-30ppg in the 90s.
Having watched old tapes of old games, yes he definetly had a streaky inconsistent jumper but a lot of people did then. And the defense was hit and miss (Definetly had trouble with little guards like AI and Tim Hardaway) but again this all him at 23,24 or after microfacture surgery.
In fact its a miracle he even played a few more seasons after 2 microfacture surgeries in 4 years (96-00)
More so than G Hill, Mac, Wall, Webb who I feel had enough healthy seasons. Penny is more in the Brandon Roy, Derrick Rose what if section
mastermind
Rest In Power Kobe
Yes, Shaq.
Penny didn’t have those debates. He was only in his second all star game and hadn't yet made an all nba team at that point.
Shaq made four All star games and hadn't yet two or three all nba team appearances. He also won the scoring title if not for David Robinson scoring 71 points in the final game.
And with that, people were upset Shaq made it—and he had the nerve to not show up.
Penny wasn't in that convo.
Tony D'Amato
It's all about the inches
He was never the natural athlete jordan was.
Dorian Breh
Veteran
Len Bias >
IsThatBrothaMouzone?
Veteran
Huge "what-if."
Obviously I get why Shaq left. $120M in 1996 was crazy money. MJ didn't get paid all that well from NBA contracts until his last few years with the Bulls.
If he stays in Orlando, the only obstacle to Penny/Shaq winning the East was MJ/Pippen. There were other solid teams like the Pacers, Heat, Hornets, Knicks etc., but remember it took Big Fella like 3 or 4 more years in LA before he won #1. Penny was already All-Star caliber and a more natural fit than Kobe.
Penny wouldn't have pressed as much when he got hurt. Think he has a longer career as an elite player. They would have been the top dawg in the East from 1999 until maybe Boston in '08.
Obviously I get why Shaq left. $120M in 1996 was crazy money. MJ didn't get paid all that well from NBA contracts until his last few years with the Bulls.
If he stays in Orlando, the only obstacle to Penny/Shaq winning the East was MJ/Pippen. There were other solid teams like the Pacers, Heat, Hornets, Knicks etc., but remember it took Big Fella like 3 or 4 more years in LA before he won #1. Penny was already All-Star caliber and a more natural fit than Kobe.
Penny wouldn't have pressed as much when he got hurt. Think he has a longer career as an elite player. They would have been the top dawg in the East from 1999 until maybe Boston in '08.
prophecypro
Hollywood North
Penny was first team All NBA his 2nd year in the league and then again was 1st all nba in his 3rd year
He actually made more 1st teams than Shaq in Orlando (Obviously cause the center position was stacked, but he was also beating out guards like Payton, Kidd, Van Exel, Strikland, Stockton etc)
Thats why when sportswriters were compiling their list for the top 50, he made a few lists.
prophecypro
Hollywood North
The misdiagnosed of his torn meniscus and playing on it through the playoffs/Olympics in 96, then travelling to Japan for the start of the season changed a lot. Then he actually came back early despite it not feeling like that and same deal into the start of the next season when he again tried to comeback early when it was obvious he should have been shut down.
Too much pressure to stay on the court post Shaq
mastermind
Rest In Power Kobe
My apologies, he did make first team that year.
There wasnt a debate around Penny tho. I don’t remember those convos at all. I do remember it for Shaq, and guys like David Thompson and Bill Walton.
NO nikka HE CLEARLY SAID HE MADE 1ST TEAM
TWO TIMES BY THE TIME
THEY SELECTED THE TOP 50
NOT JUST "THAT YEAR"