FW: how good is Penny?

["Ozersky, Joshua A" <OzerskyJA@corning.com>]

I asked bskball.com, who lives in Orlando and is a big time Magic fan, what
his take was on Penny as a player.  This is his response. (FWIW, obviously).
Joshua Ozersky
Marketing Communications
Environmental Products Division
Corning Incorporated.
HP-CB-02-C6A
Corning, New York 14831
Phone:  (607) 974-8124
Fax:      (607) 974-2233



> ----------
> From: 	BskBALL[SMTP:BskBALL@bskball.com]
> Sent: 	Tuesday, June 01, 1999 11:23 AM
> To: 	Ozersky, Joshua A
> Subject: 	Re: how good is Penny?
> 
> Josh-
> 
> As for the Penny deal, it sounds like a good deal for Orlando, but GM
> rule #1, never trade a star to a team you'll have to beat to advance in
> the playoffs, and seeing that Boston is right there, I doubt the Magic,
> Rich Devos, John Gabriel or anyone else with say, allows them to trade
> Penny to a team they have to face 4 times a year.......
> As for Penny as a player- Penny is still a dominate player, I believe if
> he is nursed the right way (coddled and told hes the greatest star to
> every touch the ball) he can be a serious impact player, he demands the
> double team when he scorers, he passes well, he can play above the rim,
> and he draws fans..... whats his problem? Ego, and pressure... Penny has
> never handled the pressure of the NBA well, and he has been eaten alive
> by the media, which has made him timid and soft... If he can toughen up,
> he could be great again... he is menatlly weak now, and thats the
> toughest thing, because the talent and the ability are there, and it
> shows every so often....
> Is he still good?
> -Lets put it this way, I put him on my team...... I think he is
> probably-Talentwise- one of the top 4 (Kobe, Mitch, Steve Smith, Penny)
> 2 guards in the game. he needs a coach that will work around him and
> through him, and a coach that will hold his hand. He will struggle worse
> with Pitino than he did with daly, as Penny does not like to be yelled
> at, he had that problem with Brian Hill.
> 
> Can he pass and play defense, or is he just a scorer now?
> -Penny is a tenasious defender, he is great on the steal, passes very
> well, low on turnovers, a great over the rim defenders, he rebounds
> well, and he can get to the rim, on anyone, he he wants to....
> 
> Have injuries hurt his game?
> - I don't think the actual injuries have hurt as much as the personal
> attacks that came from the media and the Magic about how he handled the
> injuries, rehabing in Houston rather than being with the team, coming
> back after missing 20 plus games, played 3 games then played in the
> All-Star game, then went back on the injured list, he has been hurt by
> the constant questions of his durablity, and his desire to play and win.
> He's a head case now, I don't beleive its anything physical, his shot
> selection is very tenative, and he doesn't seem interested in the game
> as much, and I think Chuck Daly had a lot to do with that, I think a new
> coach is excatly what penny needs, and a guy like Doc Rivers, would be a
> perfect fit, he knows how to talk to people and he is a former guard, I
> think he'd help Penny's game.
> 
> Hope that gives you a nugget to think about....
> BskBALL
>