George O'Brien
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PENNY PUTRID IN DEBUT
By MARC BERMAN
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January 7, 2004 -- KNICK NOTES
CLEVELAND - After multiple knee surgeries, Penny Hardaway says he's as limber as he's been in years, and that the Suns under-used him before his trade to the Knicks on Monday.
Hardaway, who began the season as a starter but was demoted to the Phoenix bench, came off the bench in his Knick debut last night - but missed his first five shots in an awful performance and finished with six points in 24 minutes.
Knick coach Don Chaney plans to use Hardaway as backup shooting guard and backup small forward. If Keith Van Horn is traded, Hardaway could slide into the starting small-forward role.
"I came into this season really excited and really ready to make another playoff run with the Suns, but they went another direction, going younger," Hardaway said of the Suns' lineup maneuverings, in which Joe Johnson started in front of him. "I was saying, finally after all the years of aches and pains, my knee feels great and now I can't play."
Hardaway's mammoth contract, which has $44 million left, was the reason the payroll-reducing Suns dispatched him. Sun management actually felt he was having a much-improved season.
"My body feels good," Hardaway said. "The Knicks are getting a healthy Penny Hardaway instead of a worn-down Penny Hardaway like I've been the last couple of years with the aches and pains. So I'm really anxious to get out and play in a Knicks uniform because my body feels good."
* Blazer GM John Nash said he's had a handful of conversations with Knick boss Isiah Thomas, who's interested in power forward Rasheed Wallace.
"I hope it continues," Nash said.
The Blazers have definite interest in Kurt Thomas and former Portland high-school standout Michael Doleac. The Knicks would like to keep Thomas and put Van Horn in a deal, but he makes a maximum salary and is hard to deal, even though he could fit into the Blazers' strategy of getting in more character guys.
By MARC BERMAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email Archives
Print Reprint
January 7, 2004 -- KNICK NOTES
CLEVELAND - After multiple knee surgeries, Penny Hardaway says he's as limber as he's been in years, and that the Suns under-used him before his trade to the Knicks on Monday.
Hardaway, who began the season as a starter but was demoted to the Phoenix bench, came off the bench in his Knick debut last night - but missed his first five shots in an awful performance and finished with six points in 24 minutes.
Knick coach Don Chaney plans to use Hardaway as backup shooting guard and backup small forward. If Keith Van Horn is traded, Hardaway could slide into the starting small-forward role.
"I came into this season really excited and really ready to make another playoff run with the Suns, but they went another direction, going younger," Hardaway said of the Suns' lineup maneuverings, in which Joe Johnson started in front of him. "I was saying, finally after all the years of aches and pains, my knee feels great and now I can't play."
Hardaway's mammoth contract, which has $44 million left, was the reason the payroll-reducing Suns dispatched him. Sun management actually felt he was having a much-improved season.
"My body feels good," Hardaway said. "The Knicks are getting a healthy Penny Hardaway instead of a worn-down Penny Hardaway like I've been the last couple of years with the aches and pains. So I'm really anxious to get out and play in a Knicks uniform because my body feels good."
* Blazer GM John Nash said he's had a handful of conversations with Knick boss Isiah Thomas, who's interested in power forward Rasheed Wallace.
"I hope it continues," Nash said.
The Blazers have definite interest in Kurt Thomas and former Portland high-school standout Michael Doleac. The Knicks would like to keep Thomas and put Van Horn in a deal, but he makes a maximum salary and is hard to deal, even though he could fit into the Blazers' strategy of getting in more character guys.
